At about 10:30 a.m. on May 14, the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office warned the public about a new wildfire that popped up with multiple starts in the area of Squaw Creek Road and Highway 6, both of which were closed due to the blaze. Per the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report, the entirety of Eagle County is experiencing ‘stage four’ drought – the worst of four stages with similar drought conditions bordering the county on all sides.

The wildfire eventually reached about 10 acres, burning in private land in the area of the sanitation plant. The latest update that was published at about 12:30 p.m. indicated that the 60 firefighters who responded were able to get the fire under control. While power was initially disrupted in the area around the blaze, it was being restored and Highway 6 was reopened.

One of the impacted areas was the neighborhood of Cordillera. While no evacuations were ordered, residents who opted to leave their home were told they wouldn’t be allowed to re-enter at this time. Southbound Squaw Creek Road was last reported to be closed due to the wildfire about half a mile up the road.

At last report, the cause of the fire remained unclear.

STAY INFORMED: Get free Colorado news with our daily newsletter (Click here)