MEEKER | Effective at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 19, the Blanco Ranger District on the White River National Forest and the White River Field Office of the BLM will lift the Cabin Lake Fire emergency area closure and reopen popular hunting areas near Burro Mountain. Much of the burned area has cooled, but there is still active fire in the Sterry Lake area. The Sterry Lake Trail (Forest Service Trail No. 2240) and Forest Service Road 240 will remain closed until fire activity here ceases.
The Cabin Lake Fire is 98 percent contained, and it continues to burn in interior fuels: “We are still seeing smoke from the fire as the interior continues to burn,” said Incident Commander Rita Clipperton. “We will continue to have firefighters monitoring it daily and responding if any containment lines are threatened.”
Hunters and others entering recently burned areas should exercise caution and understand that fire can create forest hazards. Fire-weakened trees may fall over many years, and roots of trees can burn underground, creating ash pits that may not be readily visible. Burned forests are especially hazardous in windy conditions.
Special to the Herald Times
