Fire crews have now fully contained a fire near Interstate 76 and Sable Boulevard that sent clouds and black smoke and flaming fuel barrels into the highway.
The fire was first called in at 4:51 p.m. on a farm near a Brighton School District 27 school bus yard in Henderson, according to Kevin Vincel, deputy fire marshal with South Adams County Fire.
Witnesses said the fire appeared to begin in a barn and pushed by wind, quickly spread to fuel tanks and drums, causing explosions that caused drums to fly onto I-76 during rush hour.
The fire temporarily shut down both lanes of I-76 from Sable to U.S. 85, with witnesses saying the smoke was so thick they could not see the highway from just yards away.
The fire consumed at least two buildings and possibly a third, though fire officials could not say specifically how many structures burned. Horses, goats and dogs were moved off of the farm, which is on the north side of I-76, Vincel said.
Vincel said investigators believe a family does live on the property, but no one was home when the fire began.
By about 7:10 p.m., the fire appeared to be under control, with only a few small areas burning. The fire appears to have been mostly on the farm, although some of the blaze moved toward a bridge over I-76.
Fire crews are letting a few small areas burn under supervision overnight and are hauling away most of the charred material.
There were no injuries to civilians or fire fighters and officials said they do not think any animals were hurt.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, though Vincel said they do have several leads.
Mitchell Byars: 303-954-1698 or mbyars@denverpost.com
