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How the Lake Christine Fire Started

  A wildfire started at the Lake Christine Shooting Range Tuesday evening and spread across the hillsides above Basalt. As of 9 p.m. that evening, the fire had spread to an estimated 50 to 60 acres and had not been contained by crews from Carbondale, Snowmass, Aspen, Rifle and the Upper Colorado River Fire.   

 

Officials ordered the following areas to be evacuated: Hillcrest, Silverado, Original, Pine Ridge, Sagewood, Homestead Trailer Park, the Wilds Promontory and Wild springs, Ridge Rd, Pinion and Cedar Dr., Homestead, Sopris, Spur, Tucker, Hillside, Curtis, Longhorn, and all addresses on the North side of Midland Ave. A second shelter had opened at Roaring Fork High School in Carbondale, and evacuees were asked to go to the nearest shelter and not drive on Highway 82.

Drone owners are reminded not to fly near fires as they can ground aircrafts and have endangered firefighters and slowed the response.

Valley residents should prepare for electric outages due to power line damage.

Allison Marcus and Richard Miller of El Jebel are facing misdemeanor charges of fourth-degree arson for their role in starting the Lake Christine Fire.

According to the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office, the suspects are accused of firing tracer rounds that ignited the fire near Basalt on Tuesday evening. Colorado Parks and Wildlife manages the outdoor shooting range, which remained open after Stage 2 Fire Restrictions went into effect.

U.S. Forest Service Stage 2 restrictions prohibit firearms discharge, excluding lawful hunting activity.

Marcus and Miller are due in court on August 17th in El Jebel.