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People Shooting Exploding Targets May Have Caused Cottonwood Pass Wildfire

SILT, Colo. (CBS4) - The Bureau of Land Management and the Eagle County Sheriff's Office would like the public's help locating people they believe are responsible for causing a fire near Cottonwood Pass in Eagle County on Sunday.

According to David Boyd with the BLM, it's believed the fire was caused by people shooting exploding targets in dry grass in the area of Spring Gulch off the Cottonwood Pass Road.

"A number of people were recreating in the area at the time and may have information useful to investigators," Boyd said in a statement. "People whose actions result in wildfires can be held liable for the cost of suppressing the fire, regardless of whether the fire was intentional."

Crews kept the fire to approximately five acres.

"We're at the point of the season where most grasses have dried and will carry fire, even with the wet summer we've had," Acting BLM Colorado River Valley Field Manager Karl Mendonca said in a statement. "We are seeing an increase in fire danger and are reminding the public to use caution when recreating or working outside."

Additional Information From The Eagle County Sheriff's Office

If you think you may have any information that would be useful to investigators, please call the Eagle County Sheriff's Office at (970) 328-8500 or Eagle County Crime Stoppers at 970-328-7007, 1-800-972-TIPS, submit your tip online at www.tipsubmit.com, or text a tip from your cell phone by texting STOPCRIME plus your message to CRIMES (274637). If your tip leads to the arrest and indictment of any suspect involved, you could earn up to a $1,000 reward from Crime Stoppers.

Wildfire Resources

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

Wildfire Photo Galleries

- See images from the most destructive wildfires (Black ForestWaldo CanyonHigh Park and Fourmile) and largest wildfire (Hayman) in Colorado history.

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