A western Colorado wildfire has exploded, spreading over nearly 3,000 acres this week as windy weather continues to fan the flames.
While the Grand Valley Fire Protection District reported Tuesday morning that the blaze had rapidly grown overnight on Monday, the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit said in an update on Tuesday night that the fire did not continue to expand much despite Red Flag conditions in the area.
Mapping showed that the perimeter extended around 2,577 acres, with the Spring Creek Fire just 5% contained.
The White River National Forest and Bureau of Land Management issued closures for the fire area for firefighter and public safety.
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The district said in a Tuesday release that there were eight crews, 25 engines, helicopters and retardant delivery aircraft, and more than 300 personnel working on the fire, with additional resources continuing to arrive.
No evacuations had been ordered early Wednesday, but residents were urged to sign up for Garfield County emergency alerts. No structures are immediately threatened, and no injuries have been reported.
The cause of the fire remains unknown and is under investigation.
The National Weather Service’s office in Grand Junction tweeted Wednesday that while winds would not be as strong as Tuesday, speeds would still reach between 25 and 40 miles per hour.
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Additionally, high temperatures were forecast to reach the mid-90s – a few degrees cooler.
“Dry fuels and low [humidity continues] so Red Flag warnings remain in effect for this afternoon and again for tomorrow afternoon,” it said.
An air quality health advisory was issued by the Air Pollution Control Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment due to smoke from the Spring Creek Fire over Garfield and Mesa Counties, with the worst smoke impacts forecast Tuesday night likely between Parachute and De Beque. The fire is just outside of Parachute.
The fire started on Saturday, and Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario explained Monday that moisture from the spring had created an abundance of growth and “fuel” sources in the county’s grassland and wooded areas.
As of last week, the National Interagency Fire Center said more than 22,000 wildfires had burned 636,031 acres across the country since Jan. 1.
