A stubborn wildfire continued to burn out of control in southwestern Colorado today, with nearly 100 firefighters making little headway in containing it.
The fire, located just south of Mancos and west of Durango, has grown to 1,250 acres since lightning started it Saturday night, said Eric LaPrice, spokesman for the Delores County Public Lands office.
The fire is not contained and continues to burn out of control, he said this morning.
Heavy winds Sunday whipped flames 100 feet high, he said. One residence was destroyed, along with two outbuildings. No one was injured as the occupants had fled just minutes earlier.
Other nearby structures appear to be upwind and out of immediate danger, LaPrice said.
Aiding in the fight are two heavy air tankers, two single-engine tankers, and one heavy and one light helicopter. About 92 firefighters are on the ground, LaPrice said.
The fire is burning through extremely dry and dead piñon and juniper. Many of the trees died from beetle kill two and three years ago, he said. The fire also has spread into brushy areas and grasslands, as well as farmlands.
About 20 percent of the fire is now on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation with the rest on private land, LaPrice said.
On Sunday, the fire burned power poles and lines along County Road 114, causing a power outage. La Plata Electric is monitoring the fire, attempting to get power restored as soon as possible.
