July 31, 2024 |
Photo – 206 Fire in Rawlins – Courtesy Jennifer Linn-Moore
A brush fire in Rawlins burned approximately two acres last night. At the same time, the county battled a larger blaze west of the city that is still burning.
Around 6:40 pm last night, the Rawlins Fire Department was called to a fire in a field located to the east of the 6th Street Bridge and south of the Union Pacific railroad tracks. With the assistance of Carbon County firefighters, the Rawlins Fire Department was able to contain the blaze roughly 25 minutes later. By 8:10pm, the fire was out. No one was injured.
In total, 4 firetrucks and 14 firefighters responded to the call the south side of the city. The Rawlins Fire Department is investigating the cause of the fire.
Around the same time, county firefighters were fighting a larger blaze outside Rawlins. According to Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken, at around 7:30 pm last night, Carbon County Fire received reports of a 10-to-15-acre brush fire located near milepost 206 on Interstate 80 west of the city.
Fire crews from the Bureau of Land Management, Sinclair, and Wamsutter are assisting Carbon County Fire battle the blaze. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.
Sheriff Bakken reported that the fire is spreading quickly and advised residents to avoid driving through the area.
County fire crews are stretched thin as they battle fires west of Rawlins and in the Jack Creek area at the same time. Dry conditions and strong winds are not making the firefighters’ jobs easy.
Meanwhile, wildfires are burning across the state. West of Gillette, wildfires driven by 50-mile-per hour winds burned mobile homes, campers and other private property over the weekend.
A fast-moving fire near Upton, chased hundreds of residents from their homes on Monday.
