WHITE RIVER NATIONAL FOREST, Colorado – A small, 1/4 acre wildfire was quickly contained in White River National Forest in Colorado with the help of the Red, White & Blue Fire Protection District, Summit Fire & EMS, and the Summit County Sheriff’s Office. According to a Facebook post, the burn was caused by an abandoned campfire near Prospect Road above Breckenridge’s Wellington Neighborhood.
The fire was first reported by the Sheriff’s office around 1pm on Sunday, July 7, and firefighters were on scene managing the burn by 2:30 p.m. By 3:45pm, the wildfire, which had only grown to about ¼ acre, was fully contained. All campfires should be fully extinguished before being left, meaning fully cold to the touch.
“Campfires should be cold to the touch before you leave them. Drown it in water, stir, repeat until it’s cold to the touch.”
When it’s hot and dry, like it is across much of the U.S. right now, campfire safety is incredibly important in preventing wildfires. Always listen to fire warnings and always follow fire restrictions. If you’re going to have a campfire, make sure it’s away from any flammable material, scrape away grass and vegetation down to just the mineral soil, cut wood into short lengths, and stay with the fire.
Douse your campfire before leaving it. Douse it with a bucket of water, stir, douse again, and keep going until it’s cold to the touch. Leaving even slightly hot coals can lead to a full fire in the right conditions.
