MESA COUNTY, Colo. — Nearly 1,000 personal were helping to fight the Pine Gulch Fire over the weekend which, as of Sunday evening, had grown to 129,715 acres with 44% containment.
The fire is now the second-largest wildfire in Colorado history after it exploded in size Tuesday into Wednesday.
Garfield County issued additional evacuation orders Thursday for residents.
The areas currently under evacuation orders are:
- From the Mesa County line north to the east/west Colorado Highway 256 (Four A Ridge Road) including north/south CO Hwy 256
- From Highway 139 Douglas Pass road east to the preexisting evacuation order for Carr Creek Road (207). This includes CO Hwy 205 Salt Wash and Kimball Creek Road (202) on Kimball Mountain.
- CO Hwy 258/King Road
- Roan Creek Road (CR 204) above Brush Creek Road (CR 209)
- Residents east of Highway 139
The following areas are under pre-evacuation notice:
- Everything west of Douglas Pass (CO Hwy 139) to the Utah state line
- Residents along County Road 204 who live below Clear Creek Road.
Both Mesa County and Garfield County have Stage 2 Fire Restrictions although a statewide fire ban was announced Tuesday.
The largest fire in state history is the Hayman Fire which burned 137,760 acres in 2002.
The Pine Gulch Fire was sparked by lightning on Friday, July 31 and is located in Mesa and Garfield Counties in western Colorado.
The fire is burning in remote, rough terrain, in pinyon, juniper, oak, and sage brush, according to the Grand Junction Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management.
>> Read the latest report on the fire here
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