A wildfire burning just north of the Colorado border in Wyoming has closed parts of Highway 10 and State Highway 230, which connects with Colorado State Highway 127.
The Badger Creek Fire began Sunday and has grown to nearly 18,000 acres as of Saturday afternoon, according to Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. It remains at 0 percent containment.
Many northwest Colorado travelers use Highway 127, which has been closed from the Colorado 125 junction to the Wyoming state line, except local traffic. Both Highway 10 and Highway 230 are closed from Woods Landing, Wyoming to the Colorado state line.
In addition, the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland have signed an area closure for a portion of National Forest System lands in northern Larimer County, commonly known as the “Old Roach” area. The closure is to support firefighter operations.
The fire has also prompted evacuations of small communities, and several structures have been destroyed, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Local law enforcement is attempting to contact the owners of those structures.
Evacuated communities are Mountain Home, Wyocolo, Wold Tract, Foxpark, Gramm, Beehive and Miller Lake, as well as areas along Highway 10 that include Woods Landing, New Jelm and Jelm. The Foxborough community remains under a pre-evacuation order.
On Thursday, helicopters were used to assist firefighters on the ground with water drops to cool particularly hot spots of the fire. Its estimated date for containment is June 30, according to the Medicine Bow National Forest.
The cause of the Badger Creek Fire is still under investigation. The public is asked to call 307-745-2392 with any information.
A public meeting addressing the fire is scheduled for Saturday, June 16 at 2 p.m. at the Albany County Fairgrounds at 2934-2994 S. 3rd St. in Laramie, Wyoming.