The Bear fire, Willow fire and Spring Creek fire consumed nearly 200 acres this week in Garfield, Eagle and Las Animas counties, fueled by dry conditions and high winds.

Firefighters in Rifle gained full containment on the 10-acre Willow fire on Thursday afternoon, less than a day after the fire sparked in a backyard and raced along Government Creek to an apartment complex, where it destroyed an eight-unit building.

Two apartment buildings remained under mandatory evacuation overnight, but Garfield County officials said people were allowed to return home Thursday morning.

To the southeast, lifted all mandatory evacuation orders for the 150-acre Bear fire, which sparked Wednesday north of Trinidad near the Army’s Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site.

“We ask evacuees who return to their homes to please be vigilant and be prepared to re-evacuate if fire behavior changes,” fire officials said on Facebook.

To the north, almost 100 firefighters continued to fight the Spring Creek fire as it burned in the near the Eagle and Pitkin County lines.

The fire charred 20 acres northeast of Aspen with no containment since it first sparked on Tuesday, U.S. Forest Service officials said.

As of noon Thursday, crews were still constructing hand lines to contain the fire and dealing with critical fire weather, the forest service said.

Mandatory evacuations are still in place near the Ruedi Reservoir, including homes along Eagle-Thomasville Road, also known as Crooked Creek Pass; north of Brush Creek Road; and south of Crooked Creek.

The cause of all three fires is still under investigation.

At least six fires were smoking on 5,276 acres around western Colorado on Friday.

The Devil’s Thumb fire closest to Denver, in the wilderness near Fraser, still isn’t fully contained but wasn’t spreading as firefighters worked to suppress flames with helicopter support — seizing opportunities ahead of anticipated gusty and erratic winds.

This fire has burned on 95 acres, consuming blown-down spruce and lodgepole pine trees, reaching into dense spruce near edges of the burn zone, according to the from federal fire managers posted on a government fire information website. They listed the fire as 30% contained. Closure orders were in place for portions of Water Board and Devil’s Thumb Trailhead roads and some wilderness trails.

The fire broke out near the Devil’s Thumb Trailhead on July 4. Firefighters were planning to clear “pads” inside the burn zone where helicopters that haul water could land.

No evacuation orders have been issued. About 125 people were assigned to the fire. Forest Service officials declared “a full suppression” approach to the fire, even though it was burning in the wilderness. The fire is burning in an area full of trees killed by pine beetles and blown-down spruce trees.

Elsewhere around western Colorado, firefighters planned to attack flames and snuff hotspots Friday ahead of a shift to hotter and drier weather that favors flames. The National Weather Service on Friday issued a “red flag” fire danger warning covering much of western Colorado.

Spring Creek fire

Firefighting supervisors reported progress holding lines around the 3,230-acre Spring Creek fire south of Parachute, now 37% contained. Relatively calm winds, blowing at less than 20 mph, also gave firefighters an opportunity to ignite unburned trees and brush on the northeast side of the fire, according to updates provided on the .

Water tanks, pumps and hoses positioned around the perimeter of the burn zone allowed firefighters to attack smoldering hot spots. And fire managers were deploying firefighters at night to areas close to hot spots, where they set up camps and worked to suppress the fire, which was burning on private land.

However, fire behavior specialists said the lack of cloud cover expected over the next few days could lead to increased fire activity.

The proximity to oil and gas industry wells and other infrastructure in the Parachute area near the upper Colorado River has complicated firefighting, forcing crews to carry monitors to detect hydrogen sulfide or other toxic and flammable gases that could be released if flames reach industrial facilities. About 530 people are fighting blaze.

Spring Creek and High Mesa road are open to local traffic only. No injuries have been reported. The cause hasn’t been determined. No evacuations were ordered.

Coal Mine fire

In southwestern Colorado, the Coal Mine fire in Archuleta County was mostly contained Friday after burning across 286 acres north of Pagosa Springs. Firefighters were focused on smoking hotspots in the interior of the burn zone. The fire was caused by lightning.

Resources on the fire were being demobilized or reassigned to other fires.

Chris Mountain fire

About 12 miles west of Pagosa Springs, the 555 firefighters battling the Chris Mountain fire have deployed an aerial drone to map remaining hotspots. This fire ignited by lightning devoured trees and brush across 511 acres. It was 46% contained, mostly on the west side, according to the .

Archuleta County issued mandatory evacuations for Forest Road 628 on June 28.

Fire managers have sent firefighters to attack the interior of the fire in the face of “red flag” hot and dry conditions favoring flames, saying the fire wasn’t expanding. Ground crews planned to clear fuel and form a line in the Devil Creek drainage on the east side of the fire.

“Conditions remain dry” with trees “receptive to burning,” fire managers said. “Any new fire starts could spread rapidly.”

Titan fire

Firefighters have been “mopping up” hotspots — hard physical labor to extinguish and remove burning material — and had largely contained the Titan fire, 11 miles northwest of Trinidad. This fire burned across 930 acres. Fire managers reported progress toward full suppression and containment. Ground crews using heavy machinery have built and reinforced firelines.

Arkansas Loop fire

On Southern Ute land 25 miles east of Ignacio, the Arkansas Loop fire was burning in pinon and juniper forests. On Friday, the burn zone was 127 acres with the fire 50% contained. Firefighters have been working in rocky terrain, trying to control and contain flames. Fire managers estimated this blaze will be fully contained by Saturday.

The fire didn’t grow Thursday as it continued burning in the Indian Peaks Wilderness, according to the .

The Forest Service also confirmed that investigators determined the fire was caused by lightning.

“The public is asked to continue to avoid areas near the fire for public and firefighter safety,” the agency .

update- Fire crews made good progress today, increasing containment to 25%. Cause of the fire has been determined to be lightning. Fire size remains at 95 acres. The public is asked to continue to avoid areas near the fire for public and firefighter safety.

— Forest Service, ARP (@usfsarp)

Late Thursday morning, the U.S. Forest Service said crews were working on building containment lines, and road barricades had been placed on Forest Service Road 128, also known as Water Board Road, to keep visitors out of the Devil’s Thumb Trailhead area.

No evacuation orders have been issued around Fraser. The fire apparently began Tuesday in the wilderness near the Devil’s Thumb Trailhead, about 7 miles northeast of Fraser. It was burning in forests where mountain pine beetles have killed trees and wind has blown dead trees down to the ground.

Forest Service officials declared “a full suppression” approach to the fire, even though it was burning in the wilderness.

It is one of five fires burning around western Colorado. The National Weather Service on Thursday issued a “red flag” fire danger warning in western Colorado as warm, dry, and windy conditions favored flames.

Spring Creek fire

Firefighters south of Parachute still were battling the 3,200-acre Spring Creek fire that broke out around June 24 on private land in Garfield County, now 37% contained. More than 500 firefighters, with air support, were trying to attack flames and hotspots. The fire grew from 2,958 acres to 3,200 acres throughout the day.

An posted Thursday on a federal fire information website said a team planned to continue using “aerial ignitions” on the north and northwest parts of the fire. Those involve dropping chemicals that catch fire on impact, creating small fires as part of a “burnout strategy” designed to stop the fire as it spreads toward each burnout site.

The proximity to oil and gas industry wells and other infrastructure has complicated firefighting, forcing crews to carry monitors to detect hydrogen sulfide or other toxic and flammable gases that could be released if flames reach industrial facilities. No injuries were reported. The cause hasn’t been determined. No evacuations were ordered.

Coal Mine fire

In southwestern Colorado, the Coal Mine fire in Archuleta County has burned across 286 acres, about 18 miles north of Pagosa Springs. Firefighters were focused on smoking hotspots in the interior of the burn zone. It was .

Chris Mountain fire

About 12 miles west of Pagosa Springs, the Chris Mountain fire expanded, burning on 511 acres, and was 35% contained, according to . It was burning in forested terrain. A total of 555 firefighters were deployed. Homes in the area were evacuated. Authorities said lightning ignited the fire.

Firefighters faced “critical fire conditions Thursday as they worked to contain and suppress flames in the San Juan National Forest. “The weather forecast includes cooler conditions, and slightly higher relative humidity, but the ridge-top winds increase to 40 miles per hour,” supervisors said in the latest data update, also referring to potential thunderstorms that could bring lightning.

“Critical fire weather conditions may be present that would support large fire growth.”

Arkansas Loop fire

Another fire was burning 25 miles east of Ignacio. This , on Southern Ute land, had burned across 127 acres and was 50% contained, according to the latest information on the federal fire data site. Lightning sparked the fire. Firefighting coordinators estimated the fire will be fully contained by Saturday.

Denver Post reporter Jon Murray contributed to this report.

The fire did not grow overnight into Tuesday and stayed at 2,932 acres, or about 4.6 square miles, with 37% containment, fire officials said. Although crews had been bracing for red flag conditions, with high wind and hot temperatures, the weather stayed favorable throughout Fourth of July morning, said fire spokesman Eric Coulter.

“It’s actually looking really good,” he said just before noon Tuesday. “It hasn’t gotten too warm yet, and the wind has stayed pretty calm … No real fire activity today, it’s been mild with some smoking and smoldering.”

He said fire crews still expect red flag conditions in the next couple of days and are preparing by strengthening existing fire containment lines. The fire is burning several miles southeast of Parachute and ignited June 24. The blaze grew significantly on June 26 — a day with hot temperatures and high winds.

“We do expect those red flag conditions for the next couple days, so we are preparing for it if it does kick up,” Coulter said.

A red flag warning was issued in the area from noon to 9 p.m., with wind gusts up to 45 mph expected, along with temperatures in high 80s and low 90s. About 540 firefighters are working on containing the blaze.

The Spring Creek fire is the largest of several blazes burning across the state.

The Chris Mountain fire, burning about 12 miles west of Pagosa Springs, grew to 477 acres Tuesday, just under a square mile. About 480 people are fighting that blaze.

The Coal Mine fire, burning on Bureau of Land Management land in Archuleta County, reached 286 acres, or about .4 square miles, Tuesday.

Firefighters also made significant progress on the 127-acre Arkansas Loop fire, which burning in La Plata County, and reached 90% containment on that blaze.

According to weather forecasts, there will be high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds, all of which spell potentially increased fire activity.

Spring Creek fire

The Spring Creek fire, burning southwest of Parachute, grew by just 7 acres overnight Sunday and is up to 37% containment, but challenges keeping the blaze at bay loom.

According to , the Spring Creek fire was measured at 2,932 acres as 539 firefighters continue to fight it. That is up from 2,925 acres and 25% containment on Sunday.

But fire officials anticipate potential challenges on Tuesday, when fire weather conditions are expected to worsen, including high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds. Wind gusts could reach 40 mph that day, bringing the most critical fire weather conditions to the area since June 26, when the fire grew rapidly, fire officials said.

Due to the forecast, a plan to ignite pockets of unburned dense vegetation as a mitigation measure in the northeast corner of the fire area was delayed Sunday. Firefighters are looking for hot spots inside the fire perimeter that could be reactivated with strong winds.

Meanwhile, hand crews and heavy equipment will aim to improve and expand hand and dozer lines already in place. Crews are also using a masticator, which is similar to a wood chipper, to chew up heavy vegetation and trees in an attempt to widen the fuel break. The Spring Creek fire, which was first detected June 24, is burning on Bureau of Land Management land.

No evacuations have been ordered.

Chris Mountain fire

The Chris Mountain fire, located about 12 miles west of Pagosa Springs and north of U.S. 160, continued to burn overnight, growing to 459 acres. Evacuation orders remain active in the area.

According to a , partly cloudy skies and spotty rain from passing thunderstorms Sunday kept the spread of the fire minimal, but the flames continued to spread down the West Fork Devil and main Devil Creek drainages.

On Sunday, crews completed a direct fire line along the western edge of the fire, according to a Monday news release. On Monday, 463 personnel will work to hold the line and contain the flames.

A fire line is a break in fuel for the flames, made by removing combustible materials from the fire’s path by hand or machine.

However, fire officials expect difficulties maintaining the line under Tuesday’s Red Flag Warning, due to the expected high winds and low humidity.

Evacuation orders remain in place and the fire, started by a lightning strike on June 28, remains 0% contained.

Coal Mine fire

The Coal Mine fire, burning in Archuleta County, hasn’t grown since Friday, officials Monday. The fire’s burn area remains at 286 acres.

According to a Monday news release from Archuleta County, the fire is 85% contained and natural barriers on the northwest side of the fire blocking the flames continue to hold.

As of 1 p.m. Monday, little smoke remains visible from hot spots inside the contained area and aircraft continue to work on securing the perimeter and reducing hot spots, the news release stated.

Only one minor injury from the fire, which sparked June 26, has been reported, officials said Monday.

According to the news release, pre-evacuation orders in place on County Road 500 and Trujillo Road are expected to be lifted Tuesday.

Arkansas Loop fire

The Arkansas Loop fire, burning on the Southern Ute Tribe reservation approximately 11.5 miles southeast of Pagosa Springs, has burned 127 acres and is 50% contained according to a July 2 update on InciWeb, an interagency incident information management system.

The site states that 85 firefighters are working in pinon-juniper habitat to secure and hold the line and put out hot spots outside the main fire perimeter. The fire was started June 27 by a lightning strike.

The Spring Creek fire, which is burning on Bureau of Land Management land to the southwest of Parachute, grew just 15 acres overnight to reach 2,925 acres, or about 4.6 square miles, fire officials reported Sunday.

The fire was and more than 520 firefighting personnel were working the blaze. On Sunday, crews planned to strengthen existing fire containment lines and cool hot spots along the fire’s edge. Firefighters could also do a handful of controlled burns Sunday to help strengthen the fire lines.

The crews are bracing for a potentially hot and windy July 4, which could reinvigorate the fire, officials said. On Sunday, Spring Creek Road and High Mesa Road remained open to local traffic only. There are no evacuations in place.

Aside from the Spring Creek fire, a handful of smaller fires are burning across Colorado, including three fires in the southwest corner of the state.

The Chris Mountain fire west of Pagosa Springs had burned 431 acres, about .7 of a square mile, by Sunday. The nearby Coal Mine fire, burning to the south of Pagosa Springs, had burned 286 acres or about .4 of a square mile, and the even smaller Arkansas Loop fire south of Durango had burned 127 acres, or about .2 of a square mile on Sunday.

Closer to Denver, the Poverty fire had burned about 5 acres on Bureau of Land Management land in Fremont County northwest of Pueblo on Sunday. That small fire was discovered Saturday, according to fire reports.

And to the south, the Titan fire had burned about 928 acres, or 1.5 square miles, on private land near Trinidad in Las Animas County.

Spring Creek fire

The Spring Creek fire, located just south of Parachute, continued to burn overnight, officials said. Mapping of the fire showed Friday that it has burned 2,910 acres.

Fire officials plan to hold a evening in Parachute to provide information and updates.

The fire is 21% contained and 441 firefighters are working on the fire, according to fire command.

Spring Creek Road and High Mesa Road are open to local traffic only. The public is asked to avoid the area if possible. There are no current evacuations.

Coalmine fire

Firefighters in southwestern Colorado Thursday faced the Coalmine fire in Archuleta County. The fire , reaching 190 acres by the end of the day.

As of about noon Friday, the fire had burned across 286 acres, according to the .

While aircraft continue to drop water and fire retardant, ground crews are working with county equipment on the fire line to solidify the fire’s perimeter and prevent further spreading, officials said.

Westerly winds were expected in the area on Friday afternoon, and pre-evacuation notices in the area remain posted.

Chris Mountain fire

The Chris Mountain fire, located about 12 miles west of Pagosa Springs and north of U.S. 160, continued to burn overnight, . Evacuation orders remain active in the area.

Aircraft – including a helicopter hauling water and airtanker loaded with fire retardant – were dispatched to the area Thursday afternoon, focusing on the east flank of the fire to keep it out of the drainage area, San Juan National Forest officials stated.

The fire grew Thursday, from 120 acres to 200, and began to cross through the retardant lines attempting to contain the flames, authorities wrote in their latest update.

Retardant is only effective when wet and when firefighters on the ground can reinforce the barrier, the update stated. Due to the difficult terrain in the spreading areas, firefighters Friday morning were unable to engage the fire on the ground and have temporarily pulled back on retardant efforts.

The fire is “moderately active” as of 9 a.m. and fire managers are beginning to scout ahead of the fire’s path for containment options, officials said. Helicopters will continue to drop water on the fire throughout the day to protect private properties.

The fire, which was caused by a lightning strike, is 0% contained.

Arkansas Loop fire

Firefighters worked to contain another fire burning on Southern Ute land, identified as the Arkansas Loop fire.

The fire’s footprint only expanded one acre overnight Thursday and is currently burning on 127 acres, said Rich Gustafson, fire management officer for the Southern Ute Agency.

“The fire is difficult to fight because of the steepness of the terrain,” Southern Ute spokeswoman Summer Begay said Friday morning. “We have mostly aviation efforts dedicated to putting out the fire and ground crews working to contain the perimeter.”

The Bureau of Indian Affairs Fire Management has the fire contained at 5%, according to a Friday afternoon news release.

Gustafson said the fire is not expected to grow, but that continued hot, dry and windy conditions could exacerbate the flames today. If the 100 firefighters on-scene continue to contain the fire Friday, the agency will begin to wind down the operation and slowly decrease the number of workers in the area. Aviation resources have been primarily used given the steep and rugged nature of the terrain.

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The most recent mapping of the fire showed that it is burning within a 2,985-acre area (4.7 square miles), based on overnight aerial infrared imagery, the federal Bureau of Land Management officials said Thursday morning.

It was one of at least four fires burning around Colorado as hot, dry, and windy conditions favored flames.

In southwestern Colorado, two fires were burning on the San Juan National Forest near Pagosa Springs in Archuleta County, and another was burning on Southern Ute land.

Spring Creek fire

Firefighters on the were relying on aircraft – helicopters lugging water and tankers loaded with fire retardant red slurry – in their efforts to contain and suppress flames, BLM spokesman Eric Coulter said in an emailed response to queries.

The proximity to oil and gas industry wells and other infrastructure complicated firefighting.

“The fire has burned around some pads, but no damage,” Coulter said.

“Most of the oil and gas infrastructure has good cleared space,” he said. A highly toxic and flammable gas, hydrogen sulfide, that potentially could be released “has caused us to have portable monitors for crews within proximity.”

No injuries have been reported on this fire, which broke out June 24 on private land in Garfield County southwest of Parachute and spread eastward into the White River National Forest. How the fire ignited hasn’t been determined. No evacuations were ordered.

“Air operations have been extremely helpful to keep the fire line in check and will be continued to be used where necessary,” Coulter said. “High winds have limited some fixed-wing use.”

Crews are prioritizing direct attacks – suppressing the fire by working as close to the edge of the fire line as possible – but preparing for indirect action as well to control the fire if it continues to spread, said Deon Steinle, planning operations section chief with the Rocky Mountain Incident Management team in .

Coal Mine fire

Firefighters in southwestern Colorado on Thursday were facing the in Archuleta County.

As of Thursday evening, the fire had burned across 267acres, according to a from the sheriff’s office. Ground crews were working to suppress the blaze after aircraft were diverted to other fires.

Chris Mountain fire

About 12 miles west of Pagosa Springs, the was burning on about 200 acres of national forest land, devouring Ponderosa pine and other trees, according to the latest information posted on a federal fire data website. Local authorities ordered evacuations in the area.

Firefighters planned to scout the fire Thursday and figure out how “to safely and effectively contain the fire,” authorities wrote in one update.

Aircraft – including a helicopter hauling water and airtanker loaded with fire retardant – were dispatched to the area Thursday afternoon, focusing on the east flank of the fire to keep it out of the drainage area, .

Toward late afternoon, the cloud cover that had been present most of the day cleared out and, with hotter temperatures, sections of the fire’s east flank in Devil Creek drainage began to cross over retardant lines, authorities wrote in their .

Arkansas Loop fire

Another fire burning on Southern Ute land, identified as the Arkansas Loop fire, expanded overnight and was burning on 126 acres Thursday morning, according to a bulletin from .

Bureau of Indian Affairs firefighting crews, along with Southern Ute and other local teams, were working to contain the fire, Begay said. Firefighting coordinators had requested up to 100 firefighters, she said. Ground firefighters have been counting on aircraft dropping water and slurry “given the steep and rugged nature of the terrain.”

The most recent mapping of the fire showed that it is burning within a 2,859-acre area, based on overnight aerial mapping using infrared imagery, according to officials with the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit, which on Tuesday had estimated the size of this fire at more than 3,000 acres.

The fire did not grow Wednesday according to an afternoon update, and crews reached 20% containment on the blaze.

The Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team (RMA CIMT2), led by Incident Commander Jared Hohn, assumed command of the fire at 6 a.m. Wednesday.

“This is a full suppression strategy fire,” RMA said in a news release. “Additional fire resources have been ordered and continue to arrive.”

Air resources, including helicopters and retardant delivery aircraft, are being used, weather permitting, to assist firefighters. Spring Creek Road and High Mesa Road are open to local traffic only. There are no current evacuations.

Flames were devouring grass, oak brush, and pinon-juniper forest, according to data from an .

Low humidity and robust wind favored the fire. The Grand Junction office on Wednesday issued “red flag” fire danger warnings covering much of western Colorado and forecasters anticipated temperatures as high as 94 degrees.

Federal fire managers on Wednesday were expected to coordinate efforts to suppress flames. More than 360 firefighters have been deployed along with trucks. And local authorities have requested aerial support — firefighting helicopters lugging water and tankers loaded with red fire retardant slurry that pilots can drop ahead of fast-moving walls of flame.

The fire broke out Saturday along Spring Creek and spread rapidly, burning on private land in Garfield County and reaching the . Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management officials have closed off areas around the burn zone in an effort to ensure firefighter and public safety. The authorities said they have not been able to determine what ignited this fire.

It was kicking up plumes of brown smoke, expected to degrade air quality in downwind communities.

No buildings have been burned. No evacuations have been ordered. No injuries were reported.

Red Flag conditions will be present again on Weds at the , and may cause an increase in fire behavior and smoke production. The Air Quality Health Advisory for Wildfire Smoke has been extended through Thursday morning in this area.

— CDPHE Air Pollution (@cdpheapcd)

Updated 11:00 a.m., June 28: Because of an editing error, the name of the photographer who took the image of the Spring Creek fire displayed on this article was published incorrectly. Their name is Taylor Cramer.

This Spring Creek fire, which started over the weekend, has spread rapidly across private land in Garfield County and into the forest, according to bulletins, a map and U.S. Forest Service officials coordinating suppression.

The cause wasn’t clear.

“Firefighters expect another day of active fire behavior,” Forest Service spokesman David Boyd said in a press release statement.

Federal officials in Colorado have ordered the deployment of firefighting helicopters and other aircraft to drop red fire retardant slurry ahead of flames, 25 firetrucks and more than 300 firefighters.

No evacuations had been ordered and no injuries were reported. Brown smoke wafting eastward from the area may be visible and reduce air quality.

Firefighting commanders appealed to residents and travelers, urging them to stay away from the burn zone, south of Interstate 70. In that area, Spring Creek Road and High Mesa Road were open only for local traffic, officials said, anticipating firefighting vehicles on the roads.