<\/p>\n
Two controlled burns got out of control on Tuesday, but were extinguished by Cortez Fire Protection District crews.<\/p>\n
About 4 p.m., shifting winds that came suddenly out of the north caused a controlled burn on U.S. Highway 491 north of Cortez to run in the wrong direction.<\/p>\n
The brush fire burned about 1 acre, said Jay Balfour, Cortez Fire Protection District chief. The owner properly notified dispatch in advance of the planned burn as required, he said. No structures were lost.<\/p>\n
Then about 5:15 p.m., a burn pile behind the Tomahawk Lodge on South Broadway in Cortez ignited some tall grass and quickly spread into a vacant field along the Hawkins Preserve Trail.<\/p>\n
The fire spread to about a half-acre and initially generated 15-foot flames in tall grass, Balfour said. The fire was near homes and the motel, but no structures were damaged.<\/p>\n
The property owner had a permit from the city of Cortez to burn the pile of yard trimmings, Balfour said.<\/p>\n
Fire crews controlled the fire in 20 minutes,and stopped it from jumping the trail to another field of dry tall grass and nearby homes. It burned about a half-acre.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a good time to remind the public to mow tall weeds and grass around your property,\u201d Balfour said.<\/p>\n
Also, always make sure to clear away vegetation from the perimeter of a burn pile before it is lit, he said.<\/p>\n
Balfour thanked the Cortez Police Department for the wisely directing fire crews to access the fast moving blaze from the paved Hawkins Preserve Trail behind the motel.<\/p>\n
Six firefighters fought the blaze, and two brush trucks and an engine were on scene. A fire hydrant at the end of Jordan Place provided the water.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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