Small wildfire extinguished Thursday near Monument

Firefighters quickly contained and put out a small wildfire Thursday morning near Monument.

The fire was less than one acre and was reported around 5:30 a.m. near the Mt. Herman trailhead, just off the trail and along Mt. Herman Road.

Tri-Lakes district firefighters responded first and later relinquished control to the U.S. Forest Service.

The fire’s cause remains under investigation. It burned mostly grasses and pine needles.
“If this fire had happened a year ago, it would have been much worse,” said Scott Campbell, a Forest Service spokesman. “It’s not nearly as dry as it was a year ago, but things are beginning to dry out lately. We’ve had less rain. But we’re going to respond to any fire as quickly as we can.”

The fire was declared under control by 11 a.m.