Paradise Creek Fire Forces I-70 Closure Near Glenwood Springs

Can you drive to Glenwood Springs tomorrow?

That’s the question on the minds of folks planning their commute along Interstate 70. The short answer is yes, but you’ll want to leave yourself extra time.

Interstate 70 reopened near South Canyon late Tuesday evening after closing for much of the afternoon, but the highway isn’t fully clear yet. One westbound lane will remain closed overnight and into Wednesday, according to Mina Bolton, Public Information Officer for the Glenwood Springs Fire Department.

Eastbound traffic is fully open.

The reopening comes after crews tackled the Paradise Creek fire, which burned in super steep and rocky terrain just off the interstate. The fire’s footprint has shrunk significantly since it first grabbed attention. Early reports pegged the blaze at 20 acres. By late afternoon, that estimate was revised down to 8 to 10 acres.

Bolton said better visibility allowed crews to get a more accurate read on the fire’s size. But the terrain made the job harder. Firefighters worked uphill from the interstate, where access is difficult.

“Super steep and rocky,” Bolton described the ground.

It wasn’t just the ground that fought back. The fire erupted during a Red Flag Warning, meaning hot, dry, and windy conditions were already priming the landscape for trouble. The heat of the day and gusty winds contributed to the scale of the response.

About 40 firefighters were on site. They weren’t working alone. Mutual aid resources from Colorado River Fire Rescue and other districts joined the effort. Colorado River Fire Protection District Division Chief of Fire Prevention Orrin Moon noted that his district provided a Type 6 engine and about three tenders to support the lead agency, Glenwood Springs Fire Department.

Aerial support played a big role, too. A Type 1 helicopter from Durango and a nearby Type 3 helicopter dipped water from the Colorado River. Two fixed-wing aircrafts were initially headed to the fire but were called off due to wind conditions.

The closure of I-70 at mile marker 112 wasn’t arbitrary. CDOT Northeast Communications Manager Austyn Dineen said the highway was shut down in both directions to keep the air operations safe and efficient. Cars in the queue were turned around at one point to clear the area.

Dineen explained that CDOT didn’t put a formal extended detour in place because detour options are limited in that specific stretch of canyon. Officials were focused on getting traffic moving again rather than rerouting thousands of vehicles onto smaller roads not built for heavy traffic.

Now, the focus shifts from suppression to monitoring.

Bolton said hose lines have been placed on the hill around much of the fire. Firefighters will stay on scene overnight. Another crew is expected to return Wednesday to continue working the fire. About 20 to 30 personnel are expected to be assigned to the incident on Wednesday.

The fire is still small, but the risk isn’t gone. There are a few ridgelines before the Glenwood area that crews are watching closely.

“We are very grateful to have the resources available to support us at this time,” Bolton said.

Evacuations aren’t happening yet. Bolton said she hadn’t heard conversations about them as of the late afternoon update.

“Anything’s possible,” she said, “but I haven’t heard those conversations.”

New mapping is expected to provide a more accurate acreage for the Paradise Creek fire. Until then, the fire remains a manageable 8 to 10 acres, contained enough to let the interstate breathe again, but close enough to the highway to keep drivers and firefighters on edge.