Fire crews were able to contain a small wildfire at Elk Run Ranch in the Emma area that was reported around 2 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon.
No residents or firefighters were injured in the 5-acre fire, but some horses were evacuated and several roads in the area were closed while crews responded.
Roaring Fork Fire Chief Scott Thompson was on site during the fire.
He said officials still need to investigate the cause of the fire, but it was likely started by a permitted ditch burn that happened earlier in the morning.
“Unfortunately something didn’t get put out and so with the winds and the warmer temperatures in the afternoon, it rekindled,” Thompson said.
According to Thompson, the fire started right at the base of Crown Mountain and spread up the slope, making it difficult to contain.
“I really commend the firefighters for being able to flank this fire and pinch it off in this very steep terrain," Thompson said. "It was oak brush, piñon and juniper, so some of the hot flashy fuels that we see here, but there were 50-foot flame links so the firefighters did a great job of stopping this fire.”
Several agencies responded to the incident including the Roaring Fork, Carbondale, Aspen and Glenwood Springs fire departments as well as the Pitkin and Eagle County sheriff's offices.
There were several powerline poles near the fire and Holy Cross Energy arrived on site just before 5 p.m. on Wednesday, but officials say no outages were reported.
The utility was planning to investigate further once the burn area had cooled down.
Editor's Note: This story was updated by Aspen Public Radio as more information was provided.
