Resident Thanks 'Heroes' Battling Grizzly Creek Fire, I-70 Remains Closed
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) - The Grizzly Creek Fire tore through new areas of Glenwood Canyon Thursday as firefighters launched new attacks to try and handle it and on Friday morning it was listed at 14,663 acres. They have now dropped a line of retardant equivalent to 24 miles to stop the fire's advance. But heat and winds are not helping. Bair Ranch and Coffee Pot Springs are now part of the evacuation orders and there are even worries that the fire will leave the canyon and jump to parts of Dotsero. It has been put on pre-evacuation notice.
That was movement to the east. Glenwood Springs to the west is still safe and not under any evacuation or pre-evacuation orders.
"Our true fear is getting it looping up and getting up the ridge by the adventure park," said Tanya Barnicoat, an evacuee from No Name.
The Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park shut down Thursday. Barnicoat's home seems to still be safe along with about 125 others potentially in danger in evacuated areas.
A spot fire started east of the Shoshone power plant on the south side of the Colorado River Thursday and fire managers quickly moved aerial assets from other areas to get on it.
Travel is still hobbled if not massively slowed by closures. Interstate 70 between Glenwood Springs and Gypsum is closed, with no estimated time for reopening; Cottonwood Pass Road in Garfield and Eagle counties and Independence Pass are closed; Coffee Pot Road, Transfer Trail and Clinetop Mesa roads and areas of the Flattops accessed by those roads are also closed, as well as many surrounding White River National Forest and BLM roads. Travel east and west through the canyon being no option it is taking people hours longer to go alternative routes.
Evacuated residents are sharing images with CBS4 and talking about the work of firefighters.
"What they do, coming from all over the country, leaving their families to save our own livelihoods, I mean, you can't thank them enough," said Tanya Barnicoat. "I mean they're heroes."
