A fire in Rocky Mountain National Park grew dramatically over the course of Friday, covering 200 acres by evening, the National Park Service said.
Smoke from the fire, which started about 6 miles west of Glen Haven, could be seen from Fort Collins to Longmont.
Erratics winds were driving the fire to the west, north and northeast, park spokeswoman Kyle Patterson said. No evacuations have been ordered, but McGraw Ranch Road has been closed to the public.
The fire was first spotted Thursday, and its estimated size then was 3 to 5 acres.
Patterson said high temperatures and winds caused the fire to spread and it was expected to keep growing.
On Friday, six loads of retardant and 10,000 gallons of water were dropped from aircraft onto the fire. Ground crews were forced to disengage from active operations because of the wind Friday evening. A Type 2 crew has been requested and should arrive today.
A ground crew from the national park reached the fire late Thursday night after eight smokejumpers. They were joined by a 20-member crew from the Roosevelt Hotshots on Friday afternoon.
Patterson said the fire started in a remote area, miles from the nearest road.
Friday night, Cow Creek Trail and the North Boundary Trail were closed as a precautionary measure. North Fork Trail inside the park is also closed.
Meanwhile, in southern Colorado, officials said crews have contained a 630-acre wildfire near the Royal Gorge that burned a home and damaged others.
The fire, which started Monday, also forced the evacuation of several homes and businesses west of Cañon City.
