Smoke over the Sangre de Cristo mountains will remain a fixture this week as crews allow the Medano Fire to continue burning off remote areas of the Great Sand Dunes National Park and San Isabel National Forest.
The fire has consumed 6,231 acres of brush and heavy undergrowth. On Sunday it was being managed by 199 firefighters, three engines and two helicopters, a spokeswoman for San Luis Valley Interagency Fire said.
Drier, warmer weather in Southern Colorado the next few days could cause more burning and smoke, she said.
Travelers and regional residents have been concerned about the smoke, but no populated areas are threatened, officials said.
The fire started with a lightning strike on June 6 about four miles north of the Great San Dunes visitor center, near Little Medano Creek.
There is no estimate yet on when the fire will burn itself out. Some trails are closed, but the San Dunes and other areas of the national forest remain open, officials said.
