Interstate 70 Between Eagle and Gypsum County, Closes Following Wildfire
Authorities closed Interstate 70 between Eagle and Gypsum county after a wildfire erupted. Colorado State Patrol and Colorado Department of Transportation issued the closure on both ends of the said interstate, FOX 31 reported.
CBS Denver noted that the fire occurred near the Strawberry Fields Ranch. However, it was not clear whether the ranch is located at Eagle or Gypsum County.
New Wildfire Closes Interstate 70 Between Eagle and Gypsum County
CSP Eagle noted that erratic fire behavior, along with strong winds, was pushing the blaze to the east along the said interstate. 9 News reported that the department confirmed the status of the fire at around 4 a.m. on Sunday.
#BREAKING
— CSP Eagle (@CSP_Eagle) July 25, 2021
I-70 CLOSED both directions between Eagle and Gypsum for wildfire. Erratic fire behavior with strong winds pushing fire to the east along the interstate.#cotraffic pic.twitter.com/LnsYr0KCD1
Furthermore, the department also posted a video of the incident where winds can be seen blowing the branches of trees as the wildfire between Eagle County and Gypsum County continues to wreak havoc in the said area. The video also showed the smoke generated by the blaze.
Wildfire between Eagle and Gypsum https://t.co/vrUCmpIDGW
— CSP Eagle (@CSP_Eagle) July 25, 2021
The closure of Interstate 70 comes a day after the said highway was reopened. It can be recalled that the highway was closed due to the debris that flowed from the Glenwood Canyon. Moreover, the said highway was closed several times this summer due to mudslides and debris flows because of the flooding due to the Grizzly Creek burn scar.
No estimated time on the reopening of Interstate 70 between Eagle and Gypsum County was given by the authorities. Furthermore, details regarding the evacuation of residents in the area were not furthered by the authorities.
Horses Lead Chase on Interstate 70
Apart from the wildfire, Interstate 70 was also a witness to a chase that involved motorists and horses. The Vail Daily reported that the incident happened on Friday night, as horses from the Eagle County Fairgrounds.
The animals were in fairgrounds for the third night of a four-day event, that was about to call it a day. However, one horse knocked down a wall from the makeshift corral that contained the animals. Another horse was reported to get scared by the electrical fence making at least four horses on the run.
Colorado State Patrol Trooper Jacob Best said that having livestock on their interstate is the worst-case scenario for them.
An attendee of the rodeo in the area explained that she thought a guy with flashers was escorting the horses. However, she explained that the guy that was escorting the animals with flashers pushed the horsed down on the interstate.
The incident of the runaway horses lasted for at least 20 to 30 minutes as the animals were escorted into a waiting trailer. Best noted that the people on the interstate were patient enough and had an idea of what happened.
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This article is owned by Latin Post
Written By: Joshua Summers
WATCH: New Wildfire Shuts Down Part Of I-70 Between Eagle & Gypsum - From CBS Denver
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