A vehicle fire shut down Highway 40 near Dinosaur, Colorado, for several hours on Sunday after it triggered a wildland fire in the area.
The Colorado State Patrol said an RV towing a Ford F-150 caught fire around 1 p.m. near milepost 9, completely engulfing both vehicles in flames. The fire quickly spread to nearby vegetation, leading to the closure of both eastbound and westbound lanes between Milepost 3 at Dinosaur and Milepost 11 at Blue Mountain. Officials have since named the blaze the Spencer Fire.
Firefighters from the Horse Draw Fire joined forces with the Artesia Fire Department to help contain the flames. The Moffat County Sheriff’s Office urged drivers to steer clear of the area to allow emergency crews to work safely.
By 5:30 p.m., wildland crews remained on the scene, continuing suppression efforts. Just before 7 p.m., authorities reopened the highway in both directions.
No injuries were reported in the incident.
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