Abandoned Campfire Starts Wildfire Near Carbondale
Carbondale, COLO (CBS4) - An abandoned campfire started a wildfire southwest of Carbondale Monday near South Thompson Creek.
The Parsnip Fire burned in heavy and downed aspen.
15 firefighters and a heavy helicopter managed to stop the spread Tuesday.
"All lands in the White River National Forest are under fire restrictions, so the campers should not have even had a fire, let alone have left it unattended," Aspen-Sopris District Ranger Kevin Warner said in a news release.
The restrictions are for all of Forest Service Region 2. They prohibit campfires and charcoal fires of any type. You also cannot smoke outside of a building or vehicle.
"No one should be having a campfire in the White River National Forest right now, but this incident illustrates the importance of never abandoning a campfire unless it is completely out," Warner said.
The fire is under investigation. If someone is found to have started that campfire then abandoned it they could be fined and jailed, they could also have to pay the cost of fighting the fire.
