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I-70 reopens between Eagle and Gypsum after wildfire closure

John LaConte
Vail Daily
I-70 closed Sunday afternoon between Gypsum and Eagle due to a wildland fire.
Photo courtesy Eagle River Fire Protection District

6:21 p.m.: Interstate 70 is now open in both directions, according to the Colorado State Patrol.

5:13 p.m.: Interstate 70 has reopened westbound in Eagle, though eastbound traffic remains closed at mile marker 140 in Gypsum, according to Eagle County Alerts.

Story: EAGLE — The fire is burning between mile markers 141 and 142 on the south side of the highway.



Highway 6 is being used as a detour, and minimal congestion is being reported along that route, said Trooper Jacob Best with the Colorado State Patrol.

Best said the fire was called in at about 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.



“In that area where people pull out to go fishing, that’s the general area of where it started,” Best said.

No official evacuations have been ordered, but the nearby Strawberry Fields farm has structures which are threatened.

“We’re seeing extremely strong winds with very active fire behavior,” Best said. “It’s very wind driven and running, with some spotting.”

The fire is mainly moving through sage and grass, Best said.

“They’re also working a pretty big hotspot of some downed cottonwood, which is a significant source of heat in the middle of that fire,” Best said.

“Eagle Fire, Gypsum Fire, Greater Eagle Fire and Eagle River Fire are on scene. … U.S. Forest Service and (the Bureau of Land Management) are also providing mutual aid. … It ran about a half mile, but it’s really early to tell how big it is.”

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