Fire crews from multiple districts, including Wiggins, Fort Morgan, Brush and Hillrose were on scene of a large grass fire west of Wiggins Thursday afternoon, as the entire region was under a RED FLAG WARNING until 8pm (MDT) Thursday evening. The fire picked up in intensity around 2pm and grew quickly under the dry conditions, near I-76. By 2:30 it was at 1,000 acres and could be seen from miles around, especially from the highway, as smoke billowed across both directions of I-76, creating low visibility for drivers and firefighters alike. The fire crept closer to the interstate, as crews were trying to prevent it from jumping the highway.
The call was made to close both directions of I-76 near MM 60 & 61, then it was expanded to between MM 48 & 66 (Roggen & Wiggins) during the 3pm hour. Fire trucks were also staged on the shoulders of the I-76 at MM61, so the closure was also for the safety of all 1st responders on the scene.
There were several airplane and helicopter drops on the fire that were successful in helping the ground crews get the fire under control. By the 4 o’clock hour the situation was a little more under control, as according to CDOT and scanner reports, I-76 was fully reopened between 4:15 and 4:20pm. Fire crews continued to monitor hot spots, as Hillrose and Wiggins fire departments were cleared by 4:45pm. The rest cleared by 4:50 as the fire was fully contained just before 5pm.
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