RBC | Rio Blanco County has issued a pre-evacuation notice for residents on County Road 7, known as Strawberry Creek Road, from mile marker 4 to 8 due to a wildland fire in the area. Residents should be prepared for a mandatory evacuation. Prepare now for immediate evacuation. See below for an infographic on the 5 P’s of Pre-Evac Prep. Gather your belongings and wait for further instructions from authorities.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued both a wind advisory and a hazardous weather outlook. The wind advisory was originally in effect from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and has been extended through 9 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29, with gusts up to 60 miles per hour in the forecast.
The hazardous weather outlook states, “strong southwest winds will buffet the area this afternoon and evening. Sustained winds from 15 to 30 MPH with gusts as high as 45 to 55 MPH are expected across portions of northeast Utah and northwest Colorado,” for Saturday and Saturday evening. Sunday through Friday, NWS predicts, “strong southwest winds will redevelop on Sunday and are expected to range from 20 to 35 MPH with gusts of 50 to 60 MPH over large portions of eastern Utah and northwest Colorado. Isolated thunderstorms are possible in the afternoon.”
The Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office posted a news release to their Facebook page around 3:45 p.m. Saturday. It states, “At 11:19 a.m Rio Blanco County Dispatch was advised of a possible fire in the County Road 7 area between mile markers 5 and 7. Crews from BLM, Meeker Fire Department and several Rio Blanco Deputies have responded. The fire, named the Jordan fire, is approximately 100 acres and is moving North. A hot shot crew and air support are in bound for assistance. At this time we are advising residents in the area to maintain a pre-evacuation status, no evacuations have been ordered.”
This post will be updated as more information is received.
