Grand Junction Fire Dept. assisting with Dixie Fire response

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) - The Grand Junction Fire Dept. is assisting crews with the Dixie Fire in Northern Calif. Blazes from that fire are tearing through parts of that state.

Wildland firefighters from Grand Junction are working night operations. They are starting proactive burns, trying to help stop the Dixie Fire’s spread by creating fire lines. The team will be out there for a total of two weeks before driving back to Grand Junction. Fire crews across the country offer help and resources to each other and collaborate on especially tough fires. During the Pine Gulch Fire last year, out-of-state crews even came to Western Colo.

According to GJFD spokeswoman Ellis Thompson-Ellis, ”This is a massive fire, much bigger than anything we’ve seen here in Colorado. Right now it’s over 800,000 acres, and it’s about 40% contained. It looks like that they’re estimating that maybe it will be fully contained by the end of October, but we can expect this to continue to burn, and operations are going to continue on the Dixie Fire.”

The fire department says they are still well prepared to address any fires here, even with certain crew members deployed out-of-state. While one brush fire engine went to California with the firefighters, one stayed behind as well.

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