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Part of I-70 in Colorado remains closed due to wildfire (with forecast video)

Grizzly Creek Fire burns along I-70 in Northwestern Colorado. (Photo: CDOT)

Wildfires, including the Grizzly Creek Fire in northwestern Colorado, continue raging in most western states.

SONAR Critical Events: Tuesday, August 18, 2020, 5 a.m. EDT; Grizzly Creek Fire

It’s not one of the largest wildfires out west, but its proximity to a major highway potentially makes the Grizzly Creek Fire one of the most impactful to trucking and freight flows.

This fire started 1 mile east of Glenwood Springs on Aug. 10, according to Inciweb. The next day, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) shut down a 24-mile stretch of Interstate 70 in both directions from Glenwood Springs to Gypsum (mile marker 116 to 140); it remains closed until further notice.

The fire has quadrupled in size since FreightWaves first reported on it Thursday. It is now spread across 25,000 acres.


The I-70 closure combined with heavy traffic, narrow width of the highway in several locations and vehicle length restrictions created unsafe travel conditions on Independence Pass. Earlier this week multiple commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) and vehicles towing trailers became stuck on the pass and forced its closure, according to CDOT.

Truckers thinking about using nearby CO-82 over Independence as an alternate route will have to reconsider. CDOT, in cooperation with local counties, has restricted travel through that area. No CMVs, camper trailers, recreational or similar vehicles are allowed until further notice, and a 35-foot length restriction is in place.

Based on their respective DOT websites, no interstates are closed in other western states due to wildfires. However, some secondary routes may be closed or restricted to non-CMVs.

Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Nick Austin.


Nick Austin

Nick is a meteorologist with 20 years of forecasting and broadcasting experience. He was nominated for a Midsouth Emmy for his coverage during a 2008 western Tennessee tornado outbreak. He received his Bachelor of Science in Meteorology from Florida State University, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Management from the Georgia Tech. Nick is a member of the American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association. As a member of the weather team at WBBJ-TV in Jackson, Tennessee, Nick was nominated for a Mid-South Emmy for live coverage of a major tornado outbreak in February 2008. As part of the weather team at WRCB-TV in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Nick shared the Chattanooga Times-Free Press Best of the Best award for “Best Weather Team” eight consecutive years.