New Hampshire's popular Lost River Gorge is closing early before one of its busiest weekends because of a brush fire that has been fanned by steady winds and has spread to about 70 acres (28 hectares).
Firefighters say the fire started Tuesday on a cliff in Kinsman Ridge over the gorge. They're unsure of the cause. More than 70 firefighters battled the fire and several smaller spot fires Thursday.
The fire is on property in North Woodstock owned by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests and the White Mountain National Forest.
The Society and White Mountain Attractions have agreed to close Lost River Gorge effective immediately.
White Mountain Attractions president Jayne O'Connor says they originally planned to close for the season Oct. 15. She says closing before Columbus Day weekend will be costly but containing the fire is “the higher priority.”
