A new wildfire sparked north of Craig on Friday grew to 5,000 acres in a matter of hours, according to the Bureau of Land Management and Moffat County Sheriff’s Office.
The Iron fire was burning on an estimated 5,000 acres as of 6 p.m. and being driven by high winds, said BLM Colorado Communications Director Steven Hall. The fire was reported at 11:56 a.m. and updates from the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office earlier in the day estimated the fire at only 170 acres.
Crews are working to suppress the fire, Hall said, and air firefighting resources are on scene with more on the way.
The fire is burning in tall grass and sagebrush in a burn scar from 2018, according to the sheriff’s office.
The National Weather Service’s Grand Junction office issued a Red Flag Warning for most of the Western Slope through Saturday night, with gusty winds, low humidity and dry fuels expected. A Red Flag Warning means weather conditions that can contribute to extreme fire behavior are occurring or will soon, according to the agency.
Winds of 25 to 35 miles per hour with gusts of up to 45 miles per hour are forecasted.
This is a developing story.
