Brush fire momentarily closes EB I-76 near Sterling

Logan County, Colo. brush fire in distance. July 4, 2012

LOGAN COUNTY, Colo. — A fast-moving brush fire in extreme northeastern Colorado burned about nine square miles of land before firefighters contained it late Wednesday night.

The fire shut down eastbound I-76 for several hours.

The highway was closed between Sterling and Atwood in Logan County. That’s about a 10-mile long stretch.

Reports on Twitter indicated farmers were working to keep the fire from damaging their property.

A spokesperson with the Sterling Fire Department says the fire was contained before 9:30 p.m. and crews were mopping up.

Firefighters believe it started as a result of either downed power lines or lightning.

Seven fire departments responded. No structures or livestock were lost.