Several wildfires in western Colorado shut down westbound Interstate 70; Pre-evacuations in Garfield County
Wildfires across western Colorado are causing significant impacts to travel along Interstate 70. Those fires were reported in Garfield, Eagle, and Moffat Counties, and pre-evacuation orders are in place in Garfield County.
The westbound lanes of I-70 are closed at the 140 westbound exit in Gypsum and Motorists are being detoured onto Highway 6, according to the Eagle County Sheriff's Office. The eastbound lanes were open as of 3:45 p.m. There were also numerous fires with heavy smoke visible near Dotsero.
The fire in Garfield County, which is being called the Hilltop Fire, was reported just after 3:30 p.m. and the Garfield County Emergency Communications Authority said a pre-evacuation order was sent to residences more than 1 mile and within 2 miles of the intersection of County Road 320 and County Road 309.
"All evacuated residents EAST of the fire should evacuate to the Garfield County Fairgrounds in Rifle. All evacuated residents WEST of the fire should evacuate to the Cottonwood Park/Parachute Fairgrounds," the prder said.
And just before 2 p.m., a fire was reported on Highway 40 near milepost 25 in Moffat County near the town of Dinosaur, just east of the Colorado-Utah state line. Aretesia Fire, Moffat County Sheriff's Office, and the Bureau of Land Management were responding to that fire.
People are being asked to avoid the areas of all these fires and should expect a large police and fire rescue presence.
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