Fire south of Peetz grows to 4,000 acres; evacuation orders lifted

PEETZ, Colo. — A wind-driven grass fire in central Logan County grew to an estimated 3,500 to 4,000 acres Wednesday afternoon before firefighters brought it largely under control, officials said.

The fire was ignited by a motor vehicle accident near Colorado Highway 113 and Logan County Road 66 at about 1:20 p.m., according to the Logan County Office of Emergency Management. Earlier in the day, the Colorado State Patrol said a pickup truck hauling an empty cargo container on a flatbed trailer overturned in high winds south of Peetz, and sparks from the rollover started the fire.

More than a dozen fire departments from Colorado and Nebraska responded to the blaze, which burned primarily grassland and rough terrain.

At the time of the fire, sustained winds were reported by the National Weather Service at 25 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 50 mph. Earlier Wednesday afternoon, wind gusts in northeast Colorado were reported around 60 mph, and a 61 mph gust was recorded in Sidney, Nebraska.

An evacuation order was issued for the rural area from County Road 66 south to Highway 138 and from Highway 113 east to County Road 65, including Caliche School and the town of Padroni. Those evacuation orders were lifted at approximately 4:25 p.m.

Sterling Fire Chief Lavon Ritter said the fire was 80% contained as of 4:26 p.m.

Officials reported no structure losses or injuries, including no livestock losses.

Agencies assisting with the incident included the Colorado Department of Public Safety Division of Fire Protection and Control, the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Colorado State Patrol, Colorado Department of Transportation, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Logan County Road and Bridge, and air operations with two air tankers. Several local farmers also assisted with tractors and disc equipment to help contain the fire.

Crews remained on scene Wednesday evening to monitor hot spots and strengthen containment lines.