TOWAOC – A fire fueled by dried brush, grass and cotton from cottonwoods broke out along a grove of trees about 7:45 p.m. Tuesday but was contained within 15 minutes by firefighters from three agencies.
Cortez Fire Protection District Fire Chief Jay Balfour said the cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
Tammy Coulon, the property owner, who placed a 911 call, said dried brush piles were strung out along the cottonwoods from previous landowners.
“We were just at the house, and my grandson said, ‘Nana, there’s smoke, fire.’”
Coulon said Montezuma County Sheriff’s deputies asked whether anyone had been shooting guns earlier in the day.
Family members were shooting prairie dogs earlier, Coulon said, but she doubted a hot shell casing could have started the blaze.
Thirteen firefighters battled the fire, and they were aided by irrigated fields to the north and the southwest of the blaze that extended in a winding line following the cottonwoods for about 2 acres.
Jeff Coulon, Tammy’s husband, said no structures were ever threatened.
Balfour said firefighters would remain at the fire for several hours to douse hot spots, secure a perimeter and eliminate smoking areas. Firefighters also were set to return to the scene at 9 a.m. Wednesday to check for hot spots and mop up.
Two tankers, three brush trucks and a fire engine responded to the scene.
Firefighters from the Cortez Fire Protection District, the Ute Mountain Ute Fire Department and the Lewis Arriola Fire Protection District battled the blaze. The Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office also responded.
parmijo@the-journal.com
