EAGLE COUNTY, Colo. — A small wildland fire has forced a safety closure of Cottonwood Pass Road in Eagle County.
Colorado State Patrol (CSP) said Cottonwood Pass Road is closed from Gypsum and El Jebel.
>Video above: Drought conditions continue to improve, but firefighters still urge caution in the mountains.
Eagle Valley Wildland posted on their Facebook page that the fire was first reported at around 10:45 a.m. Tuesday near the Red Hill area near Gypsum.
The fire has burned around three-quarters of an acre as of 11:45 a.m. Fire officials said there was some torching occurring with the fire putting off a small plume of dark smoke that was visible from Gypsum. Winds were reported at around 10-15 mph by fire crews.
Air resources had been requested and were en route, according to Eagle Valley Wildland. Fire crews said there is smoke around the Gypsum area, but that it's primarily coming from wildfires burning in Arizona and New Mexico
The National Weather Service (NWS) reported relative humidity at 10% in Gypsum just after noon Tuesday. Eagle County, and almost all of the Western Slope, is under a Red Flag Warning until 9 p.m. Tuesday.
The NWS forecast called for winds to be west-southwest at 15-25 mph before lessening to around 5-15 mph this evening.
Drought conditions continue to persist on the Western Slope of Colorado. As of the last update to the U.S. Drought Monitor on June 1, most of Eagle County is experiencing extreme or exceptional drought.
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