Pine Gulch Fire: Better Mapping Puts Fire At 121,780+ Acres
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (CBS4) - Better mapping shows that the Pine Gulch grew to 121,781 acres on Thursday as opposed to the formerly reported 125,100 acres on Wednesday. The fire burning north of Grand Junction is 14% contained.
Firefighters have made significant progress on the north and east sides of the fire.
On Thursday, crews are concerned about storm cells moving over the fire area from noon to midnight that may produce winds gusts up to 45 mph. Those winds could contribute to extreme fire behavior and active spread.
More evacuations were announced on Wednesday for residents east of Highway 139 as well as pre-evacuations west of Highway 139 to the Utah border.
The Pine Gulch Fire, started by lightning on July 31, is now the second largest fire in state history.
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