UPDATE | Wednesday 8:40 a.m. — Fire officials say the Grizzly Creek Fire has grown to 29,000 acres as of Wednesday morning. It remains 4% contained. Click here to read the latest.
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GARFIELD COUNTY, Colo. — The Grizzly Creek Fire grew 2,000 acres overnight, bringing the total area burned to 27,269 acres as of Tuesday evening. The fire started Aug. 10 in Glenwood Canyon and Interstate 70 has remained closed in the area since then.
The fire is 4% contained.
On Monday, fire crews worked to expand all fire lines and remove anything the fire could burn on the east side of No Name Creek drainage to reduce the chances of the fire spreading in that direction, according to the fire's InciWeb page.
Fire line construction continued past Windy Point to the west, as well as on the east side of the fire from I-70 to Coffee Pot Road.
The fire became more active around Spruce Creek, so firefighters used a retardant to slow its expansion, fire officials reported. Throughout the day, crews worked to protect structures in No Name, Bair Ranch, High Aspen and Spring Valley.
Looking ahead to Tuesday, crews will begin to implement fire lines and natural barriers where they can along the blaze's perimeter. The area around Spruce Ridge will remain a focus on Tuesday, fire officials reported.
About 700 fire personnel are working in the area.
Evacuation orders for residents along Siloam Springs Drive, Stephens Drive, Stephens Nursery and the lower Colorado River Road were downgraded to pre-evacuation status on Tuesday.
The cause of the fire, which started on the afternoon of Aug. 10, remains under investigation.
The community is welcome to join fire officials for an update on the Grizzly Creek Fire Tuesday from 6-7 p.m. on the fire's Facebook page.
The fire shut down I-70 from Glenwood Springs to Gypsum Aug. 10, and the interstate has remained closed since then in that area.
The workaround for most drivers is U.S. 50 east to U.S. 285 for those coming east from Grand Junction, and CO 9 to U.S. 285 south to U.S. 50 for westbound drivers, or CO 91 to U.S. 24 to U.S. 50 westbound.
The Bureau of Land Management has closed recreational sites and boat ramps on the southern side of the Colorado River near Dotsero, including the Cottonwood Landing ramp, Lyons campground and ramp, and the Dotsero ramp.
Forest Service Road 400 is also closed after drivers mistook it as an optional other route and got stuck or crashed. Cottonwood Pass Road remains closed, as do Coffee Pot Road, Transfer Trail and Clinetop Mesa roads.
Hanging Lake, a popular trail and natural area near Glenwood Springs, was not impacted by the fire, though officials said the fire did burn intensely above and around it.
Stage 2 Fire Restrictions remain in place.
