Colorado wildfires: Blaze ignites in western Colorado, prompts evacuations

A wildfire broke out near Carbondale in Garfield County on Sunday, triggering evacuations across the area, fire officials confirmed.

Named the Ranch at Coulter Creek fire, the blaze started Sunday morning near the subdivision of the same name, north of Panorama Drive, according to a 11:24 a.m. update from the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District.

By Sunday afternoon, mandatory evacuations were in place for the Panorama subdivision and areas stretching east from County Road 100 to Upper Cattle Creek Road, the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office announced.

“EVACUATE the area IMMEDIATELY,” the sheriff’s office warned in a social media post.

By 1 p.m., the fire had scorched between 35 and 40 acres, and by 2:30 p.m., officials estimated it had doubled to about 80 acres.

Evacuees were instructed to head to Roaring Fork High School at 2270 Colorado 133 in Carbondale for shelter and assistance.

This new wildfire is burning east of three major fires still active on Colorado’s Western Slope. The Wright Draw, Turner Gulch, and South Rim fires have burned approximately 26,381 acres combined. The Sowbelly Fire, which was fully contained on Friday, burned an additional 2,274 acres.

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Katie Baylett

Katie is a senior who has been on staff for three years. Her favorite type of stories to write is reviews and features. Katie’s favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry.