A wildfire near a Western Slope coal mine has forced the closure of a state highway between Meeker and Craig, officials reported on Friday.
Moffat County fire crews were notified about a brush fire near the Colowyo Mine off Colorado 13 at 2:32 p.m., according to an alert from the sheriff’s office. The fire is approximately one mile west of the coal mine’s guard shack near the highway and County Road 17.
Colorado 13 has been shut down in both directions due to the fire, as confirmed by the Colorado Department of Transportation. The closure spans between Nine Mile Gap and County Road 180, which is 14 miles north of Meeker.
The Bureau of Land Management’s fire dashboard indicates that the fire is currently estimated at 100 acres, with the cause remaining unknown. Firefighters from the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office, BLM, and Craig are actively combating the blaze.
Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.
