Colorado Gov. Hickenlooper declares disaster emergency for Lightner Creek Fire
UPDATE: 11:20 AM
Governor John Hickenlooper gave a verbal declaration of disaster emergency on Thursday to help efforts to fight the Lightner Creek Fire near Durango.
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A wildfire in southwestern Colorado has burned at least one home and forced the evacuation of about 140 others, as well as a busy campground.
The fire was reported in the Lightner Creek area about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) west of Durango on Wednesday afternoon. It’s unclear if a second, smaller fire nearby was sparked by the initial blaze.
@GovofCO has given a declaration of disaster emergency to aid efforts to fight the Lightner Creek Fire near Durango. https://t.co/oRpgNS2bsG pic.twitter.com/zgQZa4f1V4
— Governor Jared Polis (@GovofCO) June 29, 2017
The Durango Herald reports the larger fire has burned one home and so far less than a square mile (2.6 square kilometers).
Scot Davis with the Durango Fire Protection District says it’s unclear where the blaze started.
About 100 people were forced to leave the Lightner Creek Campground during what camp host Valerie Firth described as a “mass exodus.”
A shelter has been set up at the La Plata County Fairgrounds, and the American Red Cross is helping people who have been displaced.
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