RANGELY | The Red Canyon fire is burning 31 miles south of Rangely, east of Highway 139 near the Middle Red Rock Canyon drainage and north of Douglas Pass. Lightning is listed as the cause of the fire.
Warmer and drier weather, along with gusty winds, contributed to active fire behavior starting early yesterday morning. A small fire spotted over the primary containment line across County Road 27, but it was quickly extinguished by ground crews and air attack resources. Crews were able to conduct burnout operations along County Road 27, in an effort to protect primary residences in Brush Creek and Crystal Springs near Josh’s Canyon. Preparation work is occurring to protect multiple structures along State Highway 139 and the FAA tower south of the fire area. Over 25 natural gas well heads were shut down and pipelines in the vicinity of the fire were cleared to allow firefighters to safely work in the area. (According to inciweb.nwcg/incident/6064)
The area is currently classified as being in “moderate drought”, leading to active and extreme fire behavior.
CLOSURES & EVACUATIONS: The Bureau of Land Management has issued an area closure for the Red Canyon fire area for firefighter and public safety.
- Northern border: State Highway (SH) 139/County Road (CR) 27 junction to CR27/CR28 junction
- Eastern closure: CR28/CR257 junction to CR256/CR257 junction
- Southern closure: CR256/CR257 to SH139
- Western closure: CR256/SH139 junction to SH139/CR27
