Duckett Fire Scorches 4,440 Acres
WESTCLIFFE – A large fire in Custer County that began on June 12 was mostly contained by June 22 but not until burning nearly 4,440 acres and spreading into nearby Fremont County.
Nearly 650 firefighters fought the blaze, dubbed the Duckett Fire, on pubic and private lands at the base of the Sangre De Cristo mountains and was estimated to have cost $5.2 million to contain.
The fire forced the evacuation of area residents including residents of the Eagle Peak Subdivision and Maytag Ranch as well as the Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp. At its peak, crews fighting the blaze included four helicopters, one airplane, 36 engines and six bulldozers. The fire, which began on U.S. Forest Service land southwest of the Rainbow Camp, is suspected to have been caused by human activity, possibly an unattended campfire, according to The Wet Mountain Tribune.
No structures were damaged or destroyed by the fire and only one injury was reported, that of a firefighter who was treated and released.