Mason Fire Expected To Be Fully Contained Saturday
Firefighting Costs Exceed $4.5 Million
POSTED: 7:36 am MDT July 15,
2005
Firefighters hope to have the Mason Fire, burning in southern Colorado, contained by Saturday night.Full containment means that the fire won't be able to spread.
The blaze has burned more than 12,000 acres since it was started by lightning July 6. More than 800 people are fighting the fire, which has now cost nearly $4.5 million to fight, authorities said.The blaze that forced an estimated 5,000 people out of their homes near Beulah is now 70 percent contained.In the meantime, smoke jumpers are battling a dozen small fires started by lightning near Durango.Those fires are small, such as smoldering stumps, and are not expected to spread, said Jen Chase of the Rocky Mountain Coordination Center in Denver.A majority of wildfires are extinguished before they can spread. In the past two days, 22 wildfires across the state burned just 12 acres as firefighters were able to keep them in check.More Information:
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Previous Stories:
- July 13, 2005: Residents Return Home As Mason Gulch Fire Burns
- July 13, 2005: 100-Degree Weather Has Western Slope Fire Managers On Alert
- July 12, 2005: Firefighters Await Break In Weather; Calmer Winds Help
- July 11, 2005: State Of Emergency Declared For 11,000-Acre Mason Fire
- July 10, 2005: Winds Push Southern Colorado Wildfire To 8,000 Acres
- July 10, 2005: 150 Homes Evacuated As Wildfire Grows To 2,400 Acres In Southern Colorado
- July 8, 2005: 50 Homes Evacuated As Southern Colo. Wildfire Spreads
Copyright 2005 by TheDenverChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
