Update as of 10:30 a.m. July 20: Fire crews who worked overnight Tuesday are optimistic that they can keep the Red Hil Fire — formerly referred to as the South 133 Fire — from growing. According to Eagle County Public Information Officer Claire Noble, the fire has burned about 19 acres. It is now considered 25 percent contained, barring any extreme wind conditions, they hope to complete containment by tonight. While the cause of the fire is unknown, there was lightening from storms on Tuesday which might have started the fire.
This afternoon shortly before 2:00 p.m., multiple wildfires were reported to have broken out in the areas of Gypsum and Eagle. Since authorities know about them, they are asking residents and I-70 travelers not to call 9-1-1. and residents are being urged to be on the alert.
Campfires are a mainstay of camping, but poorly managed fires are a significant risk for major wildfires. Image: Unsplash/Colter Olmstead.
In Eagle, the fire started from a single tree, according to the Eagle County Public Information Officer, and fire crews and civilians had the fire out by 4:00 pm. A second fire broke out in junipers near Wapiti Road, north of I-70 near Eagle.
A third fire is the most serious; the “South 133 Fire” is burning in sagebrush, juniper and piñon south of I-70 at mile marker 133 between Gypsum and Dotsero.
Originally reported just before 2:00 p.m., the fire had grown to 10 acres in size by 4:00 p.m. The Vail Daily reports that air support is enroute, and a resident reported a National Guard Chinook helicopter filling its water bucket in a nearby pond.
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