The Goltra Fire, which has been scorching its way through Clear Creek Canyon just west of Golden, is now reported to be 60% contained, authorities noted Wednesday evening. Jacki Kelley, a spokesperson for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, provided an update stating that the fire's growth was minimal from the morning briefing, and a recent aerial survey pegged the burnt area at 204 acres. "Just by looking at it, we're in a better place than we were this morning," Kelley said, as per 9News.
According to the Colorado Sun, the challenges posed by the down-canyon winds that exacerbated the fire spread overnight on Tuesday and remained a concern through Wednesday morning while confirming that the ignition of the fire was due to natural causes, specifically lightning, saying “We are very confident this was Mother Nature,” Kelley said. The area continues to see emergency services bracing for an ongoing confrontation with the natural elements, however, fire suppression efforts are set to persist with a similar level of resources on Thursday, with the firefighters on the ground, and two helicopters on standby should circumstances demand.
Amid efforts to control the flames, which have reached a critical point of containment, U.S. 6 has had to maintain its closure for safety reasons. The firefighting teams, drawn from numerous agencies, have been navigating severe, near-vertical terrain to combat this natural menace, rocky, snake-infested, and unpredictable. As KDVR reports, Kelley elucidates on the conditions on the ground, “Every step is rocky, every step is unsteady. It’s very, very vertical, and once again we are dealing with a lot of rattlesnake activity in that area.”
