Fires spring up around Rio Blanco County

RBC I Fires continue to spring up around Rio Blanco County with fires in and near Dinosaur National Park and others in the Piceance Basin as of Wednesday.
Joe Flores, the fire management officer at Dinosaur National Monument, reported that firefighters are now in the “mop-up” stage of the Wild/Hacking Fire, the largest of all area fires.
Although that blaze was only considered 15 percent contained on Tuesday, having burned 370 acres, Flores said Wednesday that there are secure perimeters around the fire and that any hot spots that may be sources for potential re-ignition are being suppressed.
Originally, the Wild/Hacking Fire began as two separate fires, the result of lightning strikes on June 13, but they merged into one fire by Friday, Flores said.
Meanwhile, lightning on Sunday started eight wild-land fires in the Piceance Basin area about 25 miles south and west of Meeker. As of Wednesday, each of those fires had covered about one-tenth of an acre and all but two were contained.
On Monday, lightning from a quick-moving storm over Meeker caused a fire reported just northwest of town but evidence was never found. Officials believe the fire was put out by accompanying rain.
Another fire was reported Tuesday afternoon on BLM land “a couple miles south” of Dinosaur National Monument, according to Lynn Barclay of the Northwest Colorado Fire Management Unit. Dubbed the Disappointment Fire, the area burned was last reported at about 60 acres with no containment.
The fire was 10 acres when firefighters arrived but high winds quickly pushed the blaze to 60 acres, Barclay said, adding that the resources being employed against that blaze include two wild-land engines, one 20-person hot shot crew and one fire squad as well as one helicopter and two heavy air tankers that are dropping water and retardant.
Reports are that no structures have been lost in any of the blazes, but officials with the Northwest Colorado Fire Management Unit are reminding residents that the fire danger is very high in Rio Blanco, Moffat, Routt, Jackson and Grand counties and that extreme caution is urged by those living in or visiting the rural areas in those counties.
Barclay said that it appears all of the fires were lightning caused.