A wildfire has shut down Interstate 70 between Glenwood Springs and Gypsum, according to the State Patrol.
The agency is urging drivers and travelers to avoid the area. A highway reopening time is unknown.
The Eagle County Sheriff’s Office said the wildfire, known as the The Duck Pond fire, began in the early afternoon Saturday in the Duck Pond Open Space area between Gypsum and Dotsero. Winds have pushed the fire east, and an evacuation notice has been ordered for the Willowstone neighborhood in Gypsum.
At 6 p.m. Saturday the fire was estimated to be about 30 acres.
A pre-evacuation notice has been posted for the Red Hill area, including Beacon Road, Cedar Drive, Strohm Circle, Highland Road, Sunset Lane and Knob Lane, according to the sheriff’s office. Road closures also are happening in Gypsum.
The Colorado Department of Transportation is recommending a northern detour for drivers because of the shutdown. Westbound drivers are urged to head north to Steamboat Springs, west to Craig, and south through Meeker and back to I-70. Eastbound drivers can flip the route.
The northern detour is about a 230-mile route and takes about four hours to drive. Gypsum to Glenwood Springs on I-70, when open, is about a 25-mile stretch and it takes about 35 minutes.
This story is breaking and will be updated.
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