[slideshow_deploy id=’17710′]

Photo Credits: Megan Hickey

A line of concerned families stood vigilant across railroad tracks separating their neighborhoods from the 150 acre grass fire that burned for hours on Friday, January 10 just north of Duck Lake in southeast Fort Collins.

Carpenter Road was shut down from Timberline Road to Larimer County Road 9 as firefighters battled a fire believed to have started from a tossed cigarette butt, according to the Poudre Fire Authority. Firefighters fought the fire from around 3:00 pm until shortly before 7:30 pm with two units remaining on scene overnight ensuring no other major flare-ups and containing the hot spots. There were periodic patrols around the burned area on Saturday.

Fossil student JD Sigmund whose family lives close to the burned zones recounted events during the fire from his drive back from school. “I could tell the smoke was rising from a nearby field and was definitely worried because the burning field is connected to our property,” he stated. “There was not much contact with the fire department either. All that was told to us was that the fire was under control when my mother called 911.”

Megan Hickey and her family were one of many families who were observant through the entirety of the fire. “It’s been very sporadic,” said Hickey. “The fire calms down and then suddenly gets worse again.” Hickey continued to explain the trouble on the road with backed up traffic and alternate routes simply to get home. “We had to take County road 30 and circle all the way back to our house since carpenter road was the only way to get home without getting caught in so much of the traffic.”

The unexpected fire did not cause harm or extensive damage to any people in Fort Collins or properties.