A small fire was quickly contained in the Poudre Canyon west of Fort Collins.
The Stratton Fire ignited yesterday afternoon, and was 80 percent contained by the evening. A combination of wetter conditions and a national hotshot team being stationed nearby prevented the fire from spreading, Reghan Cloudman, spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service, said.
The 1.8 acre fire did not threaten any structures, and was about half a mile away from a hiking trail in the canyon and 1 mile from the Diamond Park picnic area.
The Roosevelt Hotshots are headquartered near the area and were in town. About 35 firefighters were working in the area and were able to get a line around it quickly, Cloudman said.
Crews remained on scene this morning to mop up the fire lines.
Although heavy snow packs and early season precipitation made this fire season less precarious, the Forest Service is asking campers to use extra caution over the upcoming Labor Day weekend.
Higher temperatures are drying out fuels, and campers should make sure their fires are cool to the touch before leaving an area, Cloudman said.
