A small human-caused wildfire was burning Friday near the Turkey Tracks shooting range northwest of Woodland Park, though firefighters were taking an “indirect approach” due to unexploded ammunition in the area, officials said.
The Turkey Tracks 69 fire, located 14.4 miles northwest of Woodland Park, off Highway 67 and Forest Service Road 343, was estimated to be 8 acres in size Friday afternoon.
The Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands posted an alert on social media at 1:52 p.m. that said U.S. Forest Service and local fire departments were on scene.
“Due to unexploded ammunition and a focus on firefighter safety, we are taking an indirect approach for #TurkeyTracks69Fire while utilizing full suppression efforts,” National Forest officials wrote on social media. “Smoke will be visible for the next few days as fuels continue to consume within the fire perimeter.”
The area near the shooting range saw another wildfire earlier this year, burning 128 acres of land that consisted of grass, dead and downed trees and shooting debris.
During that time, officials said hot, dry and windy conditions caused the fire to grow “very aggressively.” The fire burned right up to the edge of Highway 67 near the Teller and Douglas County border.
Investigators also determined that fire was human-caused.
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