Progress is being made on the Leroux Fire burning north of Hotchkiss. The fire was recently listed at roughly 180 acres with approximately 35 percent containment.
Steve Lipsher, spokesperson for the incident team spoke with KVNF Senior Reporter Lisa Young on current fire suppression efforts. As of Wednesday at noon, the fire evacuation zone was down-graded to ‘pre-evacuation' status and the evacuation check-in center in Hotchkiss has been closed
While evacuation status has changed, 3100 Road remains closed to those who do not live in the affected area.
With hot, dry days and low humidity, wild fires are becoming a daily event across the region. Lipsher said fire crews are taking a more agricultural approach to all fires to important values such as homes, watersheds and infrastructure.
Moving forward, Lipsher encouraged home owners to build a ‘defensible space’ with minimal vegetation to create a buffer.
Beyond taking care of property, Lipsher recommends that everyone keep an evacuation kit in their vehicle in case they are away from home and are evacuated.
or up to date fire information on the Western Slope, Lipsher recommended westslopefireinfo.com and inciweb.wildfire.gov will show wildfires in the entire United States.
