Large wildfires burning across southern and western Colorado continued to spread on Tuesday, together scorching nearly 85,000 acres — roughly 133 square miles.
“Critical fire weather” — hot, dry and windy — is expected each day this week and could spur the growth of existing and new wildfires across the state, .
As of Tuesday morning, had been issued for Boulder, Chaffee, Clear Creek, Crowley, Douglas, El Paso, Fremont, Gilpin, Grand, Huerfano, Jackson, Jefferson, Larimer, Las Animas, Otero, Park, Pueblo, Summit and Teller counties. Most warnings will be active from noon to 9 p.m., with some expanded warnings for southern Colorado ranging from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Red flag warnings were also issued for the Colorado River Basin and Gunnison Basin, according to the weather service.
“Conditions will be favorable for rapid fire spread,” forecasters wrote in the warnings. “Avoid outdoor burning and any activity that may produce a spark and start a wildfire.”
Jump to: Snyder fireGold Mountain fireFerris fire | Willow fire | Aspen Acres fire Air quality alerts
Snyder fire in Mesa County and Utah
Colorado’s largest wildfire was burning on more than 30,000 acres along the Colorado-Utah border on Monday, according to fire officials.
— a conglomeration of Utah’s Snyder Mesa and Jones fires and Colorado’s Knowles and Gore fires in Mesa County — has scorched 30,163 acres with no containment and has killed three firefighters and injured two others, according to a Monday evening update from fire officials.
The two Utah fires spread into Mesa County on Saturday, prompting Colorado Gov. Jared Polis to issue a disaster declaration as they merged and consumed the two Colorado fires. The rapidly growing blaze then overtook five firefighters from the Rifle Helitack who were responding to the Colorado wildfires.
The five were trying to deploy their tent-like shelters when they were overcome, .
U.S. Forest Service officials identified the firefighters who died as 38-year-old Emily Barker of Michigan, 27-year-old Nick Hutcherson of Arizona and 27-year-old Sydney Watson of Alabama. An investigation has been opened into their deaths, federal officials said.
Two other firefighters sustained burn injuries and remained hospitalized Monday in the Denver area, officials said during the news conference.
It’s unknown when the fire was last mapped and how much of the damage is in each of the two states, but appear to show most of the burn area on the Western Slope.
Pre-evacuation notices were issued on Sunday for residents living in the Glade Park area, the Kingsview subdivision and the Pollock Canyon Estates, according to the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office. That includes the area south of the Colorado River to BS Road and west of Colorado 340. The sheriff also closed A 2/10 Road at DS Road and BS Road before the Bureau of Land Management boundary, the Kokopelli Trail Road between Loma and Mack and 16 5/10 Road to Glade Park at Monument Road and Rim Rock Drive, according to law enforcement.
The sheriff’s office and the American Red Cross are operating a Snyder Mesa fire evacuation center at Grand Junction High School, 1400 N. Fifth St.
Gold Mountain fire near Ouray
The Gold Mountain fire sparked Saturday north of Ouray, forcing evacuations. It was first mapped at an acre on Saturday, grew to 4,217 acres by Sunday evening and had charred 7,103 acres as of Monday, according to the .
By Tuesday morning, the wildfire was estimated to have consumed 8,277 acres. That’s roughly 13 square miles.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis issued a disaster declaration for the Gold Mountain fire — which forced evacuations north of Ouray — on Sunday.
Mandatory evacuations included residents in and near Lake Lenore, Panoramic Heights, Redstone Road and Peck’s Trailer Park, as well as those living between the trailer park and Cedar Hill Cemetery, according to the . Pre-evacuation notices were also issued for residents living on Ouray County Road 17 from the Whispering Pines area to the Black Lake area.
An evacuation shelter was opened at the Ridgway Secondary School, 1200 Green Street, according to county officials.
As of Tuesday morning, U.S. 550 remained closed in both directions between 10th Avenue and Ouray County Road 23 for the fire, according to the .
Ferris fire in San Juan National Forest, near Dolores
The , which started Saturday as three separate fires in southwestern Colorado’s San Juan National Forest, has consumed more than 20,000 acres with no containment, according to federal officials.
As of Tuesday morning, the lightning-sparked wildfire was estimated to be burning on 20,561 acres, according to the U.S. Forest Service. That’s just over 32 square miles.
The Ferris, Far Draw and Doe fires — now called the Ferris fire — started in the San Juan National Forest’s Glade area near Narraguinnep Canyon, north of Dolores, according to the Forest Service.
Mandatory evacuations were issued for residents north and east of the wildfires, according to the . The evacuation area was bordered to the north by Disappointment Road, to the south by the Glade Ranch community, to the west by the fire and to the east by Road 30, according to the office.
Strong winds are expected Tuesday, but fire crews will directly engage the fire where they can safely do so to stop its forward progress and protect homes and private property, Ferris fire officials said in a .
The U.S. Forest Service also closed the Bradfield Bridge Campground, Forest Service Road 504 to the base of McPhee Dam, Forest Service Road 521 and Forest Service Road 504 “out of an abundance of caution,” federal officials said.
Willow fire near Leadville
sparked Sunday evening near the Leadville National Fish Hatchery and quickly grew across more than 1,900 acres, prompting evacuations for residents west of town.
The wildfire was by the Lake County Office of Emergency Management. At that time, it was burning on a handful of U.S. Forest Service acres below Mount Massive, near Twin Mounds, .
By Tuesday morning, the fire had spread to an estimated 1,919 acres with no containment in the San Isabel National Forest, according to the . That’s roughly 3 square miles.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis issued a disaster declaration for the fire on Monday.
As of Tuesday morning, the mandatory evacuation area included Turquoise Lake and was bordered to the south by Rock Creek, to the west by Hagerman Pass, to the north by Galena Mountain and to the east by Leadville, according to the . The Leadville area and homes north of the fire along U.S. 24 were on pre-evacuation status at that time.
Lake County officials said evacuations included all residents on County Road 4 east to County Road 9D, County Road 9, County Road 9D, County Road 5A, County Road 48, County Road 99, all trails from the Leadville National Fish Hatchery, all campgrounds around Turquoise Lake, the Colorado Trail and Hagerman Pass into Pitkin County.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Aspen Acres fire in Custer and Pueblo counties
Driven by 100 mph winds, a wildfire that sparked Monday morning in in southern Colorado exploded in size, racing across nearly 23,000 acres — roughly 36 square miles — and forcing evacuations, according to the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office.
As of Monday evening, the 22,827-acre Aspen Acres fire was the second-largest wildfire burning in Colorado — behind the fatal, more than 30,000-acre Snyder fire — despite its short lifespan. Its burn area is close to 36 square miles.
The extreme winds made it impossible for crews to provide aerial support, Pueblo County sheriff’s officials said Monday. An unknown number of structures were affected by the fire, according to the agency.
Authorities have ordered mandatory evacuations in the Beulah, Rye, San Isabel Lake, Aspen Acres, Lazy Acres and Bishops Castle areas, as well as for Colorado 165 from Colorado 96 south to the Pueblo County line, 3R Road to Waterbarrel Road and South Burnt Mill Road to Interstate 25, about 2 miles south of Pueblo’s Southgate area.
Evacuated residents can seek shelter at the Pueblo County Recreation Center, 1650 Cooper Place, or the Wetmore Community Center, 95 County Road 393.
The wildfire, for which Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has issued a disaster declaration, was reported as a spot fire near the Aspen Acres campground shortly before 6 a.m. Monday. It grew to 362 acres by 10 a.m., reached 2,476 acres around noon and exploded in size to 22,827 acres Monday evening, according to fire officials.
The fire made an 8-mile run off of timber in the foothills and is burning east through “extremely dry grass and brush,” according to a Tuesday morning update from the , which has taken the lead on this wildfire.
“Extreme fire behavior is likely as the day heats up and the winds increase,” fire officials stated in the update.
Air quality alerts
As wildfires continue to burn across Colorado, state health officials have for parts of the mountains and Western Slope.
The newest alert from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will remain in effect until at least 9 a.m. Tuesday, according to the agency.
Smoke could create unhealthy conditions near and downwind of the fires burning in southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah, including in Chaffee, Clear Creek, Delta, Dolores, Eagle, Garfield, Gilpin, Gunnison, Grand, Lake, Mesa, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, Park, Pitkin, San Miguel and Summit counties, according to state health officials.
If the smoke drops visibility to less than 5 miles in an area, it has reached unhealthy levels, according to the agency. Those with heart disease and respiratory illnesses, young children and older adults are more at risk.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
