Jewell Fire grows to 70 acres northeast of Rifle, 100% containment expected by Monday evening

Firefighters continue to battle the Jewell Fire, which began around 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon four miles northwest of Silt and two miles northeast of Rifle. Initially 15 acres, the blaze has grown to approximately 70 acres as of 1 p.m. Monday, According to Bureau of Land Management Public Information Officer Heather Marsh.

According to Marsh, The fire spans 57 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land and 13 acres of private property. The UCRIFM and Colorado River Fire Rescue (CRFR) have taken unified command in containing the situation. Four federal engines, two cooperator engines, three Type 2 handcrews and a total of 120 personnel are on the scene. No aircrafts have been used for assistance, but are at the ready if needed, according to Marsh.

Firefighters continue mop-up operations to prevent the fire from spreading outside the fireline.

“We are looking at 50% containment right now and have seen very little smoke today,” Marsh said. “We are expecting to see 100% containment by the end of the day today if all goes well.”

The fire is currently classified as a Type 3 incident, and the cause of the fire has been ruled human related, though not specified how, according to Marsh.

For the safety of the public and emergency responders, authorities are urging people to avoid the area. No evacuations are currently in place, according to Colorado River Fire Rescue Public Information Officer Maria Nechkash.

The Post Independent will continue to update this story.