Updated 11:32 p.m., April 17, 2022
No structures have been lost to the 88-acre Duck Pond fire burning near Gypsum, according to fire officials. And crews have reached 60 percent containment after an aggressive fight against the flames Sunday.
All evacuation orders were lifted by Sunday afternoon, with those areas now on pre-evacuation status.
"Overall, it was a really good, successful day for the firefighters out there," said Hugh Fairfield-Smith, an incident commander trainee with the Greater Eagle Fire District, in a video briefing. "They were ale to continue to mop up and secure the area to ensure that was safe for residents in the entire subdivision."
The fire is burning near the Eagle River, close to railroad tracks. It's is believed to be human-caused and investigators with Eagle County and the Bureau of Land Management spent the day searching for clues about its origin.
Around 35 firefighters were working on the fire Sunday afternoon. High winds prevented them from using firefighting aircraft Saturday, and similar conditions continued Sunday, although crews did benefit from cloudy weather. While snow has fallen across the high country this weekend, the fire area hasn't received enough moisture to help significantly.
Click here for the latest Eagle County information about the fire.
The Duck Pond fire began in the early afternoon Saturday between Dotsero and Gypsum and winds pushed the flames to the east, closing I-70 for a period of time.
A fire has broken out between the Glenwood Canyon and Gypsum near milepost 137. I-70 is closed in both directions with no ETA to reopen. Please avoid the area. Recommend alternate route to the north, H13-H40-H131. @ColoradoDOT @EagleCountySO @Garco911 pic.twitter.com/KtoQSoWq1x
— CSP Eagle (@CSP_Eagle) April 16, 2022
CPR's Megan Verlee and Obed Manuel contributed to this story.
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