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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt">Due to some ongoing fires that have
the potential to become much larger, the</span> San Juan and
Rio Grande National Forests have established a temporary closure
on a large section of the CDNST.<br>
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The Forests have
seen extreme fire behavior on both fires. The fires, West Fork
and Windy Pass, are burning on the west side of Wolf Creek Pass
in southwest Colorado. Information (news release, fires, maps,
and photos) on the fires can be found at: <a
href="http://www.acemergency.org">www.acemergency.org</a>.<o:p>
<br>
</o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Southwest
Colorado is in a drought and vegetation is very dry. Both fires
are burning in steep, rugged terrain, with lots of beetle-killed
spruce which makes it difficult and unsafe to send firefighters
into. The West Fork fire is primarily burning within the
Weminuche Wilderness.<o:p> <br>
</o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-size:12.0pt">The closure order extends from Elwood
Pass north and west over Wolf Creek Pass to Piedra Pass and the
intersection with Middle Fork. The Forests anticipate that these
fires will be burning until we get significant rainfall (not
currently predicted) or the snow flies. They apologize for the
inconvenience that it will cause users of the CDNST but feel the
closure is imperative to provide for both public and firefighter
safety. <br>
</span>
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