Lopez Fire contained at 92 acres

Photo of firefighting efforts courtesy of the Rio Grande National Forest.

LA GARITA — The Lopez Fire which began on June 12 in the Rio Grande National Forest near La Garita, is now 100 percent contained, according to RGNF officials.

“The lightning-caused Lopez Fire was declared contained at 92 acres about an hour ago,” officials stated earlier this week. “This doesn’t mean the fire is out. It is likely there will be residual hot spots that have remained undetected to firefighters, and they may start smoking in the coming days. This is normal and it is unlikely that the public will see any smoke. The fire received some precipitation and crews have remained on scene patrolling. Less firefighter activity is expected over the coming days but, rest assured, we’ll still be keeping an eye on it.”

The fire briefly threatened some homes in the La Garita area, however, the quick response by firefighters kept any homes from being destroyed. The recent rain helped with the efforts to contain the blaze.