A “fire tornado” caused by lightning and thunderstorms Wednesday caused nearly 8,000 acres of public and private land to burn in Moffat County, officials said this afternoon.
Crews contained the Alkali fire this afternoon. The blaze was first reported at 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, she said.
The “fire tornado” or “fire whirlwind” whipped across the sagebrush late Wednesday afternoon, throwing out embers that ignited rangeland in all directions, said BLM spokeswoman Lynn Barclay.
About 50 firefighters will patrol the smoldering site of the blaze about 10 miles north of Maybell overnight, as more turbulent weather capable of producing lightning is expected in the region covered in dry, late-summer brush, according to the Bureau of Land Management.
The fast-moving blaze burned mostly private land, including an outbuilding at a ranch, and about 800 acres of federal land, but there were no reported injuries, according to BLM.
