The Bureau of Land Management has implemented a temporary closure to all public use of 978 acres of public land in the Gunnison Field Office, from Cunningham Gulch north to Mill Creek Road.
The closure is in response to the Lowline Fire, burning in the Gunnison National Forest 14 miles northwest of Gunnison and 11 miles southwest of Crested Butte. The BLM closure is meant to provide public safety and enables firefighters to focus on suppression efforts.
The Lowline Fire was started by lightning last Wednesday and has burned almost 1,300 acres with 15% containment. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for residents in the Squirrel Creek and Mill Creek drainages where ten structures are said to be threatened.
More than 150 firefighting personnel are battling the Lowline Fire.
