Firefighters near Nucla are battling a wildfire that started Friday and burned approximately 4,300 acres of land by Monday morning. The fire is located on the Uncompahgre Plateau in Montrose County.

A Bureau of Land Management spokesperson said the fire, reported at 2 p.m. on July 30, was apparently sparked by a lightning strike.

As of Monday at noon the blaze had burned through 1,500 acres of BLM land and some 2,800 acres of Forest Service land.

"We have it about 25 percent contained," said Glen Webb, Fire Management Officer for the Norwood Ranger District office, on Monday.

One hundred and sixty five firefighters are fighting the blaze, which is located 14 miles northwest of Nucla on the west side of the Uncompahgre Plateau. It is burning primarily in piñon and pine and some aspen, said a BLM spokesperson. Some structure protection is also being conducted in the Meadows Ranches area.

The fire burned through parts of the Campbell Creek drainage in western Montrose County near the Utah line and threatened some second homes. Crews worked over the weekend to protect private property and were successful at keeping blazes off private land.

To date, BLM authorities have deployed four 20-person hand crews, five engines, three bulldozers, three water tenders, two medium helicopters, four single engine air tankers and a heavy tanker.

Despite recent monsoon rains, which have been less prevalent in the west end of San Miguel County, fire danger is listed as high. For more information, contact the Norwood District Forest Service office at 327-4261.