Evacuations lifted in Colorado for Snyder Fire as firefighters gain ground

Evacuations were lifted in Colorado for the Snyder Fire after firefighters gained ground as of Thursday. The Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team said all evacuation and pre-evacuation orders near Glade Park were removed, while the fire—now a combination of several blazes on Colorado’s Western Slope—continued burning along the Colorado-Utah border. The Forest Service reported Snyder merged with the Jones Fire and then overtook the Knowles and Gore fires, with the latest estimate at more than 30,193 acres and 49% containment as of Thursday morning. Three firefighters died responding to the Knowles Fire last weekend: Emily Barker, Nick Hutcherson, and Sydney Watson. Fire growth 13 miles west of Grand Junction was minimal over recent days, with crews strengthening control lines through the weekend. The cause remains undetermined.