Volunteer firefighters from Helper, Price and Wellington fire departments respond to a call on a fire west of U.S. Highway 6 near the mouth of Price Canyon. In addition, wildlands firefighters from state and federal agencies provided support. The fire erupted Friday night and raged late into the evening when firefighters contained the flames. Hot spots flared back up on Saturday and firefighters were again called to the scene. Officials believe the fire was caused by lightning. While crews battled the blaze, Highway 6 was reduced to one lane, with traffic backing up for miles. At times, smoke reduced visibility to the point where officials closed the highway entirely. Firefighters fully contained the fire on Saturday. The fire impacted lands owned by the United States government, Blackhawk Coal and a handful of other private landowners.
Multiple agencies dispatched after lightning ignites grassfire in Helper, firefighters battle flames in two-day ordeal
