As Colorado heads into a sizzling weekend, the forests are in relatively good shape with only a moderate fire danger.
Temperatures along the Front Range are expected to climb to 100 degrees by Sunday. The rest of the state will have seasonally high temperatures due to a large, high-pressure system parked over the state. There is a slight chance of thunderstorms, but no substantial amounts of rain are expected.
Lightning started two small wildfires around Carbondale Thursday afternoon. One fire north of town was contained to one acre. Another fire south of town was contained to four acres.
Another wildfire broke out Wednesday afternoon south of DeBeque, midway between Rifle and Grand Junction, and grew to 35 acres by Thursday night. Because of the extremely rugged terrain, much of the firefighting effort was done by three small planes and a helicopter.
A crew of 20 firefighters finally reached the fire Thursday night. The fire is not expected to grow in size, barring a change in the weather. No structures are threatened, according to the Bureau of Land Management.
Most of the state remains under moderate fire danger, with the greatest concern for the northwest quadrant of the state, north of Grand Junction and west of Rocky Mountain National Park, according to Steve Segin, spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center.
“But don’t forget we’re still in a drought,” Segin said. “And with 100-degree weather, it doesn’t take long for the fuels to dry out again. There still is potential for a large fire, particularly west of the Continental Divide.”
Segin recommended checking with the local sheriff’s office before camping out this weekend.
