This is a developing story. Fire updates will be posted to this page as information becomes available.
5:00 P.M.
Fire departments are still working on fire up Minnesota Creek Road.
Firefighters have the assistance of two Type I helicopters on scene making water drops as well as crews from Paonia, Hotchkiss, Crawford and Cedaredge Fire and BLM. Crews are making progress on the fire and gained significant containment in the past few hours.
Please continue to avoid the area. The fire is contained in the Minnesota Creek bottom. No size estimate or additional information is available at this time.
3:56 P.M.
Paonia and Hotchkiss Fire responded to a brush fire in the 43000 block of Minnesota Creek Road East of Paonia at approximately 12:00 pm.
Delta County Alerts reported that no structures were threatened on their initial Facebook post. Minnesota Creek is closed at Dry Gulch Road. Emergency officials are asking locals to please avoid the area as emergency crews need to keep the road clear for fire trucks. There is no threat to town. Please do not call 911 for updates or to report the fire.
Multiple agencies, including Paonia, Hotchkiss, Crawford, Delta and Cedaredge, responded to the fire near Minnesota Creek Road early Friday afternoon.
Air support was called in after ground crews were having difficulty containing the fire. EMS were also called in to attend to firecrews who were overcome by the heat. No word yet on how large the fire has grown, but emergency crews are working to minimize the spread.
At one point, the fire was reported to be moving upstream to the east. According to radio traffic on the Delta and Gunnison Counties Public Safety scanner, a helicopter and possibly two air tankers were called in.
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Fire updates will be posted to this page and the Delta County Alert Facebook page as this story develops. This is KVNF News. All information on this post will be verified with authorities.