Firefighters anticipate ‘another active day’ as Sylvan Fire tops 2,600 acres south of Eagle

The U.S. Forest Service on Tuesday morning at 10:20 a.m. issued the following press release on efforts to contain the Sylvan Fire south of Eagle:

Firefighters today (Tuesday, June 22) will continue working to keep the Sylvan Fire within a defined area as they strengthen firelines and incorporate natural barriers such as aspen stands and rocky areas.

Yesterday afternoon and evening the fire made a push to the south, putting up a large column of smoke as it burned in heavy timber. Retardant drops and natural barriers kept the fire from moving over Red Table Ridge and into the Fryingpan drainage. Keeping the fire north of Red Table Ridge continues to be a priority for firefighters today.

Firefighters will continue working off the powerline road to keep the fire from moving north and east. On the west flank, firefighters will tie natural features such as aspen stands and rocky areas with the old Gypsum Creek Road as they establish containment lines.

Today is expected to be hot, dry and windy, so firefighters are anticipating another day of active fire behavior. The fire will produce a large amount of smoke again today as it burns through heavy timber.

The fire has grown to 2,630 acres with no containment estimate. The cause is under investigation but lightning is suspected. About 75 personnel are assigned to the fire along with a light and heavy helicopter. Air tankers are available as needed.

The White River National Forest has issued a closure order for the area around the Sylvan Fire.

The latest information including closure maps is available at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7562/.  

For the latest information about pre-evacuation or evacuation notices, visit www.ecemergency.org for Eagle County and www.pitkincounty.com for Pitkin County. For more information about wildfire smoke visit https://www.epa.gov/smoke-ready-toolbox-wildfires.