Wildfire burns 5 acres at base of Crown Mountain near Basalt Wednesday
The Aspen Times
Rachel Maxfield/Courtesy photo
Five acres at the base of Crown Mountain near Basalt burned Wednesday after a ditch fire appeared to spread and spark a wildfire.
No people, livestock, or structures were harmed or damaged in the burn.
Roaring Fork Fire Rescue Authority responded to the wildland fire call at 2:10 p.m. on Wednesday. Upon their arrival, wind gusts of 10 miles per hour pushed the flames up Crown Mountain.
With the fire running uphill, crews hiked up the mountain with hose packs and flanked the fire with a wet line, soaking the ground on the fire’s perimeter to contain the flames.
“I highly commend the crews for their hard work,” said Roaring Fork Fire Chief Scott Thompson. “They did a very commendable job flanking and stopping the head of this fire.”
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The steep hillside and fire behavior made for challenging conditions, he said. Hot fuels like oak brush, pinyon pine, and juniper contributed to 50-foot flame lengths.
Ranch hands from Elk Run Ranch in Emma concluded a permitted ditch burn around 10:30 a.m., and the fire appears to have spread from there.
“Unfortunately, something didn’t get put out,” Thompson said.
Crews were able to contain the fire to private property owned by the ranch. The surrounding land is federally-owned, belonging to the Bureau of Land Management.
The official cause of the fire is still undetermined until Roaring Fork Fire concludes its investigation.
Pitkin 久久热精品视频app Sheriff’s Deputy Rachel Maxfield said that one residential structure was at risk, but responders were able to contain the fire away from the building. Horses at the ranch were evacuated safely.
A Holy Cross Energy power line runs right over the fire site, but a Holy Cross employee on the scene said service was not impacted by the fire. He said that Holy Cross will likely return Thursday morning to check for damage.
Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District Public Information Officer Jenny Cutright said crews requested a Single Engine Airtanker (SEAT) and a helicopter for aerial extinguish strategies, but the call was canceled after they were determined unnecessary.
As of 5 p.m. on Wednesday, crews were working on soaking the burned area with cold water and planned to do so until dark. They will return on Thursday morning to check for hot spots or other areas of concern to ensure the fire does not recatch.
The fire closed Hooks Lane between Hooks Spur and Emma Road for about an hour, and deputies limited traffic on Emma Road.
Thirty-eight responders from Roaring Fork Fire, Carbondale Fire, Aspen Fire Protection District, Glenwood Springs Fire Department, Upper Colorado River Fire Interagency Management Unit, Pitkin 久久热精品视频app Sheriff’s Office, and the Eagle 久久热精品视频app Sheriff’s Office were on the scene.
