State mobilization has been ordered to support local firefighters battling the Garred Road Fire near Coulee City along the Grant and Douglas County line.
The fire initially sparked late Sunday afternoon and was brought under control later that same evening after torching roughly 500 acres.
Late Monday morning, the blaze rekindled and got out of control quickly in dry and breezy conditions, ballooning to over 3,500 acres and prompting a Level 3 evacuation notice for recreationists at the Sun Lakes Campground.
After forcing the closure of portions of both U.S. Highway 2 and State Route 17 for several hours on Sunday night, the fire again forced the highways to shutdown for a time on Monday, and a three-mile stretch of SR-17 remains closed from its intersection with Moore Road Northeast and the junction of US-2 due to downed power lines caused by the blaze.
Officials say the fire is burning in dry grass and sagebrush and mostly threatening a variety of outbuildings, although there are several homes in its path as well.
So far, there have been no reports of structure damage or loss and no injuries have been reported.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
How to Protect Yourself from Wildfire Smoke
If you’re in Utica, Herkimer, or anywhere across the Mohawk Valley, here’s how to protect your lungs (and your sanity) on smoky days:
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