A U.S. Forest Service employee was rescued after a debris flow partially buried the employee’s truck in the East Troublesome fire burn area on Thursday while assessing a closed road, officials said. 

The debris flow was similar to a mudslide but includes boulders and trees, said Paul Schlatter a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Boulder. 

The employee, whose name wasn’t released, was assessing Cabin Creek Road near Colorado 125 in Grand County, when the truck became partially buried by the debris flow after about an inch of rain fell in the area between 3 and 3:41 p.m., officials said. 

At the time of the incident, the employee was not in the vehicle and was unharmed. The worker was hauled to safety by a helicopter, Reid Armstrong, a spokesman for the Forest Service told The Denver Gazette. 

“This incident is a stark reminder of how volatile and hazardous burned areas can be — and how even the most experienced outdoors enthusiasts can be caught off guard by flooding in burn areas,” Armstrong wrote in a news release. “We urge the public to keep a close eye on forecasts and to sign up for alerts.”

The National Weather Service has up-to-date weather information and provides information regarding weather watches and warnings. Specifically in Grand County, visitors and residents are urged to sign up for CodeRED emergency notifications and can do so by clicking here.