Clear Creek Western Inn Fire

John Kyler Photo ©

At 14:13 on July 19th, 2024 Jeffcom dispatched Clear Creek Fire Authority to a smoke investigation on the hillside in the 2600 block of County Rd. 308 by Dumont between Lawson and Empire on the frontage road north of I-70. Jeffcom advised multiple callers reporting 2 fires burning by the Western Inn Trailer Park. Clear Creek EMS EMS 5 arrived and confirmed 3 fires burning around the frontage road with flames showing. Engine 11 arrived and confirmed a wildfire with structures threating and requested air support and the US Forest Service, Evergreen Fire Protection District and Foothills Fire Protection District with mutual-aid support. All residences in the Western Inn Trailer Court and Hidden Valley areas were evacuated with a Lookout Alert notification. Three helicopters worked the fire with water drops and two single-engine seats that dropped retardant on the fire. Hwy. 40 was closed at I-70 mile marker 232 while the helicopter preformed water operations from the creek. Crews got control of the 3 fires with the largest that was around 5 acres. At 21:15 resources were pulled off of the fire and evacuations were lifted and crews remained overnight with hot spots into the next day. The fire is 100% contained.

Clear Creek Fire Authority, Clear Creek EMS, Evergreen Fire Protection District, Foothills Fire Protection District, Central City Fire Department, Summit County Fire & EMS Authority, Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office, US Forest Service, Georgetown Police Department, Empire Police Department, Colorado State Patrol, Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, CDOT & Colorado Parks and Wildlife

John Kyler Photo ©

Photo courtesy of Captive Eclecticness, LLC / Sarah Marie Photography