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Wildfire Closes I-70 Near Fruita

MESA COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- A wildfire burning near Fruita forced officials to close all lanes of Interstate 70 for a few hours on Thursday.

Strong winds have pushed the Skipper Island Fire across I-70 where it is burning in scrub brush and cottonwood trees on the Horsethief Canyon State Wildlife Area.

Skipper Island Fire 1(Mesa County SO) copy
Skipper Island Fire (credit: Mesa County)

I-70 was completely closed near Fruita and Loma. Traffic was diverted through the Fruita and Loma exits for east and westbound traffic.

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Skipper Island Fire (credit: Mesa County)

Westbound lanes reopened at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. There is no estimate on when eastbound lanes will reopen.

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Skipper Island Fire (credit: Mesa County)

No homes are threatened. What caused the fire is being investigated.

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Skipper Island Fire (credit: CBS)

Wildfire Resources

- Visit CBSDenver.com's Living With Wildfire section.

Wildfire Photo Galleries

- See images from the most destructive wildfires (Black Forest, Waldo Canyon, High Park and Fourmile), the deadliest (Storm King) and largest wildfire (Hayman) in Colorado history.

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