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Firefighters respond to wildfire in North Routt County

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — A wildfire burned about a third of an acre of land managed by the U.S. Forest Service on Friday afternoon.

The Corral Fire in North Routt County was discovered at about 3 p.m. Friday near the 5,000-acre Big Creek Ranch.

North Routt Fire Protection District firefighters responded in addition to Routt County Emergency Management Director David “Mo” DeMorat.

DeMorat ordered additional resources to quickly prevent the fire from spreading.

Those additional resources included a 20-person hand crew, three engines and two helicopters to drop water.

According to fire officials, the water drops were very effective, and hand crews got a good start on constructing a fire line around the fire.

North Routt ranchers Matt and Christy Belton and their ranch staff helped shuttle crew members and equipment to within a half mile of the fire.

The fire was most likely started by lightning that struck a previous day.

The fire was burning in thick spruce and beetle-killed timber on a northwest-facing slope. No structures were threatened Friday evening, and the fire was monitored overnight.

To reach Matt Stensland, call 970-871-4247, email mstensland@SteamboatToday.com or follow him on Twitter @SBTStensland.


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