Despite high winds Saturday, the Iron fire in northwest Colorado experienced minimal growth and continues to burn on just over 7,300 acres.
The fire, located in Moffat County 18 miles northwest of Craig, sparked Friday morning and grew rapidly, reaching 6,500 acres in less than eight hours, according to the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office.
Gusty winds, receptive fuel bed, remote, and rugged terrain led to initial large fire growth, Moffat County officials said.
The burn area is a mix of private ranch land and BLM land, according to Moffat County property records.
As of Sunday afternoon, the fire was burning on 7,361 acres and threatening six structures, sheriff officials said in a 2 p.m. news release — the same as Saturday evening.
While officials said Saturday’s high winds could have fueled the fire, causing it to spread as fast as Friday, the increase in cloud cover and precipitation lessened fire behavior and allowed firefighters to increase containment, the release stated.
Overnight, containment jumped from 0% to 30%.
According to Sunday’s update, 45 firefighters are currently on scene at the Iron fire, and they will remain there until the blaze is 100% contained.
The fire is burning in tall grass and sagebrush in a burn scar from 2018, the release stated.
No evacuations have been ordered as of 5 p.m. Sunday, but Moffat County Road 17 is closed from County Road 7 to County Road 3, and County Road 5 is closed from County Road 3 to County Road 7 for firefighter activity.
