Jefferson County Goltra fire 100% contained
U.S. Highway 6 could open by Thursday afternoon.
GOLDEN, Colo. — The Goltra fire has been fully contained after burning a total of 205 acres, according to a post from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
U.S. Highway 6 west of Golden remained closed for final fire operations until approximately 5 p.m., Thursday.
More than 65 firefighters worked on the ground working to contain the fire which was ignited by a lightning strike. The steep terrain and high winds presented challenges, JCSO spokesperson Jacki Kelley said.
Helicopters and other aerial assets were deployed to suppress and monitor the fire’s progress.
No homes were threatened by the fire which started late Tuesday afternoon north of Highway 6 Tunnel 1, in Clear Creek Canyon north of Lookout Mountain just west of Golden. Officials said they aren’t expecting any evacuations to be ordered.
“We are fairly certain this was a lightning strike,” Kelley said. “It’s based on actual witnesses who saw a lightning strike at the top of the mountain and then just shortly thereafter the fire started.”
When the road reopens, travelers will notice that the fire burned all the way down to the road, she said, but crews stopped it from crossing.
She also noted the need to be cautious despite the recent rainfall.
“It is still dry, one lightning strike caused this fire,” Kelley said. “So it is still a need to still be incredibly cautious with how you use any sort of spark or flame and report anything that you see.”
The Denver Gazette’s news partners 9NEWS contributed to this story.
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