The Elkhorn fire, northeast of Durango, grew in size, but the Rim Road fire, on the Southern Ute Reservation, did not grow and reached enough containment for officials to lift evacuation orders for that fire.

Elkhorn fire

The Elkhorn fire burning grew more than 100 acres overnight, but is moving away from homes, fire officials said Monday.

The fire, approximately 13 miles outside of Durango, grew to 314 acres since Sunday, when it was roughly 204 acres. The fire remains uncontained, but crews were working Sunday to establish containment lines to keep the blaze from moving west toward homes.

Fire officials have ordered no additional evacuations since Sunday afternoon. The mandatory evacuation area is bordered to the south by Stevens Creek and to the west by County Road 253, County Road 250 and the Animas River, according to the county’s evacuation map. The north and east sides of the evacuation zone extended into the San Juan National Forest.

At least 181 firefighters and four helicopters were set to work the fire on Monday. Firefighters on Sunday night identified some new spot fires in the Bear Creek drainage sparked by the blaze and worked to contain them.

The fire ignited Saturday afternoon and is burning in dense scrub oak, primarily in the San Juan National Forest east of U.S. 550. The vegetation in the area is extremely dry, making it more flammable, fire officials said Monday.

Residents can call 970-385-8700 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. for updated evacuation information or view the current map online at readylaplata.org.

An evacuation shelter is open at Escalante Middle School in Durango.

Rim Road fire

Another fire burning in southwestern Colorado did not grow overnight and officials lifted evacuation notices.

The Rim Road fire on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation remained at 114 acres on Monday. Fire crews had established 25% containment of the blaze.

Officials at 1 p.m. Monday lifted evacuation notices for homes in the vicinity.

“Fire behavior has remained moderate, but crews remain vigilant and prepared to respond to any changes,” according to a news release Monday afternoon.

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Both fires sparked Saturday, and their causes remain under investigation, according to fire officials.

The Elkhorn fire, which started as a structure fire at about 5 p.m. Saturday and spread into the surrounding wildland, has consumed roughly 204 acres with no containment, fire officials said in a Sunday afternoon update.

Crews on Sunday were working to protect homes and structures near the fire’s edge, Operations Chief Nick Collard said in a Sunday morning briefing.

The fire is mostly burning on U.S. Forest Service land about 13 miles northeast of Durango, fire officials said.

As of Sunday afternoon, the mandatory evacuation area was bordered to the south by Stevens Creek and to the west by County Road 253, County Road 250 and the Animas River, according to the county’s evacuation map. The north and east sides of the evacuation zone extended into the San Juan National Forest.

Two additional zones along Elkhorn Mountain Road and County Road 253 were under pre-evacuation orders, according to the map.

Those are likely to turn into mandatory evacuation orders, county officials said.

Residents can call 970-385-8700 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. for updated evacuation information or view the current map online at readylaplata.org.

An evacuation shelter is open at Escalante Middle School at 141 Baker Lane in Durango.

A second wildfire burning south of Durango had consumed roughly 112 acres Sunday afternoon, more than doubling its size overnight with no word on containment, according to the Southern Ute Tribe.

The Rim Road fire prompted evacuations along and south of County Road 318, down to where the fire is burning near Indian Route 150, according to the county’s evacuation map.

Crews on Sunday were focused on preventing the flames from reaching a nearby oilfield, fire officials said.

Wells and natural gas lines in the area remained shut off due to their proximity to the fire, according to fire officials.

“Oil and gas operators temporarily shut down a few operations yesterday as a precaution,” officials stated in a Sunday afternoon update. “These sites were located closest to the fire perimeter. The temporarily closed sites are expected to resume operations tomorrow, pending a safety review by respective management.”

This is a developing story and may be updated.

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The South Rim fire has charred 4,232 acres in Montrose County since it was sparked by lightning July 10, forcing evacuations and closing the park. It has not seen substantial growth in nearly two weeks.

The fire is 32% contained, although fire officials said that number may remain low because sections of the fire are in steep, rocky terrain that is not safe for firefighters to check by placing their hands in the dirt and ash, which is how they confirm containment.

There is no active fire near the park’s north rim, South Rim fire information officer Amy Ricotta said Saturday. A separate fire started by lightning on the north rim around the same time as the South Rim fire on July 10 was quickly extinguished.

“There is little to no significant threat from the South Rim fire,” Ricotta said. “It’s creeping and smoldering at this point in time.”

Visitors will be able to access trails, overlooks and the 13-site campground in the north rim, federal officials said in a news release. Park workers will be at the ranger station from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, and the campground will be open on a first-come, first-served basis.

The park’s south rim is still closed because of firefighting activity.

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South Metro Fire Rescue investigators said a train passing through the area on July 13 sparked a series of grass fires along the tracks, which rapidly spread and briefly evacuated the town of Louviers.

The fire was 90% contained Thursday, according to South Metro officials.

Crews spent another four days after the initial containment announcement securing the fire’s perimeter and dousing hot spots, including by use of a fire train that traveled back and forth along the burn area.

Douglas County sheriff’s officials confirmed the fire was 100% contained Tuesday morning.

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The four still-spreading wildfires in western Colorado have largely slowed as firefighters increase containment around their borders and weekend rainstorms increase humidity.

Multiple fires saw overnight containment increases or are expected to see jumps in containment throughout the day Sunday, according to fire officials.

The 2,274-acre Sowbelly fire, which hasn’t grown since last week, was also 66% contained Sunday, fire officials said.

Three of the four active fires were sparked by lightning during the same July 10 storm. The Sowbelly fire also started during that storm. The fifth fire started in Utah and spread across the Colorado border.

Together, the fires burning on Colorado’s Western Slope have consumed nearly 25,000 acres.

Jump to: Turner Gulch fire | Wright Draw fire | Deer Creek fire | South Rim fire

Turner Gulch fire and Wright Draw fire near Gateway

Colorado’s largest wildfire, which has burned more than 15,000 acres, is 34% contained, fire officials said.

As of Sunday morning, the Turner Gulch fire had burned 15,737 acres, a 324-acre increase from Saturday. Containment did not increase overnight.

Most of the containment lies along Colorado 141 and the fire’s northern edge, Operations Section Chief Rob Powell said in a Sunday morning briefing.

Crews on Sunday were working to clear brush and debris from residential areas north of the contained fire line, Powell said.

Colorado 141 remains closed in both directions between 7.40 Road and 16.10 Road at mile marker 124, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

“I’ve got some really good news to report on Wright Draw,” Powell said in the Sunday briefing. “On tomorrow’s map, we’re going to start showing a lot of containment on the west side of the fire.”

While the 466-acre Wright Draw fire hasn’t grown much over the past few days, it’s yet to see any official containment because of how difficult it is for firefighters to access the burn area, officials said.

Crews headed out Sunday to solidify containment lines on the Wright Draw fire’s western edge, which is burning near the Turner Gulch fire on the opposite side of Unaweep Canyon, Powell said.

Rain in the area has increased humidity and slowed both fires’ spread, but since it hasn’t rained directly over the fires, dry fuels remain, fire officials said. Both fires are burning on a mix of dry trees, brush and grass.

Deer Creek fire near Paradox

A more than 16,000-acre wildfire burning across parts of Colorado and Utah was 22% contained Sunday morning, up from 17% Saturday, according to fire officials.

The Deer Creek fire, which sparked in Utah on July 10, had spread to more than 2,000 acres of Colorado land as of Sunday morning, fire officials said.

It was last mapped on 2,098 acres of Bureau of Land Management land in Colorado, but is also believed to have spread to several hundred acres of U.S. Forest Service land, officials said.

In Colorado, the fire is mostly burning on land north of U.S. 90 and south of U2 and T2 roads in Montrose County, about 3 miles west of Paradox, according to federal maps.

The fire has scorched 16,340 acres, according to a Sunday morning update from fire officials. Most of the contained area is along the fire’s western and southwestern edges in Utah.

More than 550 people, six helicopters, five dozers and 32 fire engines were battling the flames across the Utah-Colorado border on Sunday.

“In areas of the fire that are contained, suppression repair activities have been initiated,” fire officials stated in the update. “This includes the restoration of disturbed land from dozers and handlines.”

Crews are working Sunday to build containment lines on the fire’s southeastern edge, in Colorado, Operations Section Chief Jesse Schmidt said in a morning briefing.

South Rim fire near Montrose

The South Rim fire burning in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park saw minimal overnight growth again Sunday, and fire officials estimate it’s 21% contained.

As of Sunday morning, the Montrose County wildfire had scorched 4,252 acres, up only one acre from Saturday night.

The 21% containment is a 7% increase from Saturday, and more containment jumps are expected throughout the day Sunday, Operations Section Chief Tyler Nathe said in a Sunday morning briefing.

Flames continue to burn down into the bottom of Black Canyon, which is too steep for firefighters to access directly, but there’s “no threat for those to be coming back out and creating issues,” Nathe said.

More than 500 people, six aircraft and 24 fire trucks are battling the wildfire on Sunday, according to fire officials.

The fire has damaged or destroyed several buildings and other areas in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. That includes a welding shop, the facility management building, the Western National Parks warehouse and the South Rim campground.

The national park remains closed to the public for the foreseeable future. Multiple areas near the fire remain under evacuation orders, including Bostwick Park, according to the evacuation map.

Colorado 347 also remains closed at the U.S. 50 junction for the fire, according to state transportation officials.

This is a developing story and may be updated.

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Four of the state’s actively growing wildfires reported minimal growth Friday into Saturday, with afternoon rain helping fire crews on Colorado’s largest wildfire, the 15,413-acre Turner Gulch fire near Gateway. 

Fire crews increased containment on the 2,274-acre Sowbelly fire to 50% as of Saturday, according to federal fire maps. The fire is burning in the Dominguez Escalante National Conservation Area near Delta.

The wildfires, four of which ignited in a lightning storm last week, have burned more than 24,000 acres in western Colorado.

Jump to: Turner Gulch fire | Wright Draw fire | Deer Creek fire | South Rim fire

Turner Gulch fire and Wright Draw fire near Gateway

A Friday afternoon storm brought enough rain to dampen parts of the state’s largest wildfire, but the Turner Gulch fire is still burning along the east and southwest edges near the Mesa County community of Gateway, fire officials said Saturday.

The fire grew 127 acres Friday, bringing the blaze to 15,413 acres with 34% containment as of Saturday.

Although fire growth has slowed considerably since flames roared across thousands of acres this week, firefighters are still trying to figure out how to access the most remote sections of the Turner Gulch fire and nearby Wright Draw fire, which is burning on 448 acres to the west, on the other side of Unaweep Canyon.

Both fires are burning through a mix of extremely dry trees, brush and grass, including gambel oak, which fire officials said is particularly volatile.

The fires have damaged at least one outbuilding and a U.S. Forest Service building.

Fire crews will continue building and strengthening fire lines with bulldozers, hand tools and strategic burning, officials said Saturday. Crews planned to fly over the most treacherous terrain on both fires to try to develop a containment plan.

The U.S. Forest Service on Saturday closed a section of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests to the public for safety concerns. The forest is closed from Divide Road to the north to County Road 24.4 to the west and along Forest Road 408 to the south and east.

Homes along Colorado 141 remain on pre-evacuation status, and the highway is still closed in both directions between 7.40 Road and 16.10 Road at mile marker 124, according to the state Department of Transportation.

Deer Creek fire near Paradox

The wildfire in Utah and Colorado has burned 15,892 acres as of Saturday, with 17% contained — up from 6% Friday. While most of the fire has burned across eastern Utah, more than 1,800 acres of Colorado land have been torched.

Federal maps show the east edge of the fire is burning along Montrose County Road T2 and County Road U2, about 3 miles west of Paradox.

Fire crews continue to focus on building fire lines west of Paradox to create a fire break around the community, officials said Saturday.

There is a community meeting at the Paradox Community Center, 21665 600 Road, at 6 p.m. Saturday, Utah Fire officials said. The meeting will focus on evacuation zones in the Paradox Valley.

South Rim fire near Montrose

More than 500 firefighters and experts responding to the South Rim fire in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park kept the fire from making any large runs Friday, with the fire’s footprint growing just 27 acres as of Saturday.

The lightning-sparked blaze is burning on 4,251 acres in Montrose County, and containment remains at 14%, fire officials said Saturday.

Fire crews are focused on building and strengthening fire lines by removing vegetation, extinguishing hot spots and strategic burning. The wildfire is still burning in the Black Canyon, which is too steep for firefighters to access directly.

When weather allows, pilots will use drones to drop pingpong-size balls of chemicals to ignite small fires around the perimeter, which helps reinforce fire lines. Using drones limits the risk to firefighters, officials said.

The fire has damaged or destroyed several buildings and other infrastructure in the national park, including the facility management building, Western National Parks warehouse, welding shop, some heavy equipment and the South Rim campground.

The national park is closed to the public until further notice. None of the previously issued evacuation orders has been lifted, and several areas west, south and southeast of the fire — including the Bostwick Park area — remain under evacuation orders, according to the evacuation map.

Colorado 347 is remains closed at the junction of U.S. 50. and the Blue Mesa Reservoir is closed west of Middle Bridge. The Lake Fort Boat Ramp is closed for boat launches.

This is a developing story and may be updated.

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The largest fire of the bunch — the Turner Gulch fire near Gateway — was 34% contained as of Friday afternoon, a sharp improvement from 9% reported Thursday morning. The wildfire’s growth also slowed, increasing by 215 acres to 15,286 acres burned, and an afternoon thunderstorm dropped an estimated quarter inch of rain over the fire.

The South Rim fire, near Montrose, increased only slightly and is now 14% contained, as cloud cover Thursday helped curb fire activity and enabled crews’ progress. The Sowbelly fire near Delta remained at 2,274 acres burned as of Friday morning with firefighters increasing containment to 24%. Crews also made progress containing the Utah side of the Deer Creek fire, and some residents there began returning home Thursday.

Collectively, the fires have burned more than 24,000 acres, or 38 square miles, in Colorado since they ignited last week. Another brush fire — the Cottonwood Flat fire — was reported Thursday afternoon south of I-70 between Rulison and Parachute, prompting evacuation orders for nearby residents. Fire crews held the perimeter at 310 acres on Friday and made “good progress,” the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office said. Evacuation orders for County Road 309 were scaled back to a pre-evacuation notice Friday night.

For the third straight day, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued an air quality health advisory for Mesa and Montrose counties Friday morning because of the wildfire smoke. The advisory is in effect until 9 a.m. Saturday.

Jump to: Turner Gulch fire | Wright Draw fire | Deer Creek fire | South Rim fire

Turner Gulch fire and Wright Draw fire near Gateway

Firefighters have made more progress in containing the state’s largest wildfire, bringing the Turner Gulch blaze to 34% containment as of Friday, primarily on the fire’s western edge. That’s up from 9% Thursday morning. The fire has burned 15,286 acres, a slower rate of growth than the 1,000 acres reported burned from Wednesday to Thursday.

“Today was a good day,” fire officials wrote on Facebook on Thursday night, adding that crews would spend the night “removing vegetation along the east side” of the fire.

The smaller Wright Draw fire, burning on the other side of Unaweep Canyon across Colorado 141, has held steady at 448 acres since Wednesday, although there is no containment. Crews are using heavy equipment to build a fire line to the north, although terrain on both fires is extremely difficult or impossible to navigate in some areas. Aircraft drops of water and retardant also are slowing the fire’s progress and keeping flames from crossing the North Fork West Creek.

Both fires are burning through a mix of extremely dry trees, brush and grass, including gambel oak, which fire officials said is particularly volatile.

“We don’t trust it, this fuel type,” Operations Section Chief Rob Powell said in an update video Friday. “Something squirrelly could happen, and it could run.”

Fire crews are building hand lines and using bulldozers to create fire breaks, along with taking preventive steps to protect structures.

But there’s still the potential for “very active fire spread” through Saturday, fire officials said in an update on InciWeb.

The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office lifted some evacuation orders Friday afternoon, and homes along Colorado 141 are now on pre-evacuation status. Sheriff’s officials also issued a pre-evacuation notice for private land within the Uncompahgre National Forest from Forest Road 406 to 409. Areas near the Divide Forks Campground and Casto Reservoir are still under mandatory evacuation, according to an evacuation map for the fires.

The two fires are still burning around Colorado 141, which is still closed between 7.40 Road and 16.10 Road at mile marker 124, according to the state Department of Transportation.

Deer Creek fire near Paradox

The wildfire burning near the Colorado-Utah state line had burned 15,819 acres as of Friday morning, with 11% contained — up from 7% Thursday. The bulk of the blaze has burned in Utah, although more than 1,800 acres of Colorado land have been torched.

Federal maps show the east edge of the fire is burning along Montrose Cfounty Road T2 and County Road U2, about 3 miles west of Paradox.

In a Thursday night update, fire officials said on Facebook that increased cloud cover and humidity plus light winds helped calm the fire’s behavior and contributed to additional containment on the fire’s western edge.

On Friday, officials wrote that firefighters “made excellent progress” on Thursday on the north and east sides of the fire, and some residents in Utah began returning home.

“On the west end near Paradox, crews are assessing structures and building a contingency dozer line,” fire officials said. “Helicopters and Unmanned Aerial Systems continue to support efforts on difficult terrain where conditions are unsafe to put firefighters on the ground. Smoke remains in the area, and drivers near the Highway 46/90 corridor should watch for fire traffic and reduced visibility.”

The fire is creeping and smoldering along a two-mile stretch of public land in Colorado, and firefighters may be helped by cooler weather and isolated showers Friday and Saturday.

South Rim fire near Montrose

The 4,227-acre South Rim fire grew 48 acres Thursday, another day of slow growth for a fire that was ignited by a lightning strike last week.

The fire, which is burning the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, is now at 14% containment, according to a Friday morning report from the Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 3. Forecast thunderstorms never arrived Thursday, but cloud cover helped keep fire activity low, the team said. Water was dropped from helicopters on the southern end of the fire, where flames were “slowly creeping down the canyon from the knife-edge ridge.”

Park officials on Friday confirmed the fire damaged or destroyed several buildings and other infrastructure, including the facility management building, Western National Parks warehouse, welding shop, some heavy equipment and the South Rim campground.

“Since the fire is still active and not contained, the park’s total estimated loss is unknown. When the fire is 100% contained, formal damage and safety assessments will begin,” Park Service officials said in an update.

Containment is along the south edge of the fire, and fire crews are using hand tools and heavy equipment to work the northwest, west and southwest areas of the fire, while mop-up work continues on other areas of the western section. Vegetation is still being removed, fire officials said.

Conditions are still “highly conducive to large fire growth,” including critically low moisture and challenging terrain, officials wrote on InciWeb.

The national park is closed to the public until further notice and all campground reservations have been canceled for the rest of the year. None of the previously issued evacuation orders has been lifted, and several areas west, south and southeast of the fire — including the Bostwick Park area — remain under evacuation orders, according to the evacuation map.

Colorado 347 is remains closed at the junction of U.S. 50.

The Blue Mesa Reservoir is also closed west of Middle Bridge, and the Lake Fort Boat Ramp is closed for boat launches.

The Curecanti National Recreation Area remains open to the public.

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South Metro Fire Rescue investigators believe activity from a train in the area ignited the Airport fire, according to a statement from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.

Colorado wildfires: 4 Western Slope fires growing on thousands of acres

The wildfire, initially reported as a series of vegetation fires and quickly upgraded to a second-alarm wildland-urban interface fire, burned roughly 130 acres and evacuated the town of Louviers.

At least 20 acres were scorched inside Chatfield, Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Kara Van Hoose said Sunday.

Investigators found "ignition indicators" along train tracks in the area and have video evidence of a train in the area at the time the fires started, sheriff's officials said.

South Metro officials said Monday the Airport fire was 90% contained.

Crews remained in the field on Wednesday and were still working toward fully containing the fire, according to the sheriff's office.

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The Cottonwood Flat fire is burning 311 acres near County Road 309 between Parachute and Rulison, according to the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office and federal fire maps. The fire was first reported at 2:40 p.m. Thursday.

People living within a mile of 1800 County Road 309 should evacuate, sheriff’s officials said.

U.S. 6 is closed in both directions between mile marker 77 and 83.

Original story: One week after lightning sparked four wildfires across Colorado’s Western Slope, the efforts of hundreds of firefighters began to bear fruit Thursday with new containment and slower growth.

Colorado’s largest wildfire, the 15,000-acre Turner Gulch fire burning in steep terrain near the Mesa County community of Gateway, is now 9% contained, fire officials said Thursday.

To the south, firefighters increased containment on the 2,274-acre Sowbelly fire near Delta from 13% Wednesday to 16% Thursday. The fire’s footprint hasn’t grown since Monday.

Four of the five fires burning in western Colorado were sparked July 10 during a lightning storm. The cause of the Deer Creek fire, which started in Utah before crossing the Colorado line into Montrose County this week, is under investigation.

PHOTOS: Inside the burn zone of Turner Gulch fire, Colorado’s largest active wildfire

No containment has been reported for the three other active fires.

Together, the wildfires across Montrose, Delta and Mesa counties had burned at least 23,718 acres as of Thursday, cloaking parts of the Western Slope with smoke and prompting back-to-back public health alerts for air quality.

The most recent advisory issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will run from 9 a.m. Thursday through 9 a.m. Friday in Montrose, Delta and Mesa counties.

Thursday afternoon thunderstorms may produce strong winds and send the smoke in any direction, state health officials said.

Jump to: Turner Gulch fire | Wright Draw fire | Deer Creek fire | South Rim fire

Turner Gulch fire and Wright Draw fire near Gateway

The Turner Gulch fire burned across 1,000 more acres in Mesa County from Wednesday into Thursday, although fire officials announced the first containment since lightning started the fire on July 10.

As of Thursday morning, the Turner Gulch fire was burning on 15,071 acres with 9% containment on the fire's southwest edge.

What does it mean when a wildfire is “contained”? A look at how containment is determined.

There's been minimal growth to the north of the fire along Colorado 141, but fire officials have yet to declare that section contained, Operations Section Chief Brad Pietruszka said in a Thursday morning operations briefing.

The Turner Gulch fire makes up more than half the burn area of all the wildfires active on Colorado's Western Slope combined.

Extreme drought, steep terrain and hot, dry weather continue to challenge firefighters as the fire spreads, according to federal officials.

The Wright Draw fire, burning to the north across Unaweep Canyon from the Turner Gulch fire, did not grow from Wednesday to Thursday, remaining at 448 acres with no containment, fire officials said.

Both fires are burning along Colorado 141, which remains closed between 7.40 Road and 16.10 Road at mile marker 124, according to state transportation officials.

Bureau of Land Management officials on Thursday announced an emergency closure of public lands around Unaweep Canyon between Gateway and the north turnoff for Divide Road from Colorado 141 because of the fire.

Land surrounding Colorado 141 from mile marker 120 to mile marker 134 and the Divide Forks Campground area remained under mandatory evacuation orders Thursday, according to Mesa County sheriff’s officials. The stretch of state highway between mile markers 134 and 137 remains under pre-evacuation orders.

Deer Creek fire near Paradox

Increased cloud cover, light rain and less-erratic winds helped slow the spread of a wildfire burning on the Utah-Colorado line Wednesday night, fire officials said.

The Deer Creek fire is burning on 15,655 acres of land between Colorado and Utah, growing 895 acres since Wednesday, Utah fire officials said Thursday.

Most of the active fire is spreading in eastern Utah, but flames have burned 1,843 acres of BLM and U.S. Forest Service land in Colorado, fire officials said.

The fire crept into Colorado near Paradox in Montrose County this week, just north of Colorado 90.

Federal fire maps on Thursday showed that the wildfire was burning on a section of Colorado land more than 2 miles long and wide.

The wildfire was 7% contained Thursday, but that containment is on the Utah side of the fire and doesn't prevent it from spreading farther into Colorado.

Crews are using heavy equipment to create fire lines and aircraft drops to keep the Colorado side of the fire in check, and firefighters are stationed near Paradox to respond to any new fire starts, Utah fire officials said in an update.

Federal officials on Thursday announced an emergency closure of BLM land near Paradox and Montrose County's West End for public and firefighter safety.

Rimrocker Trail at Q13 Road and Good Road, U5 Road at the turn for the Buckeye Reservoir and X2 Road all remain closed because of fire activity, according to Montrose County officials.

Difficult weather conditions capable of producing rapid fire spread are forecast to continue over the next several days, with afternoon thunderstorms and wind gusts up to 60 mph possible, fire officials said.

South Rim fire near Montrose

Firefighters battling the lightning-sparked wildfire at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park slowed the fire's growth Thursday, with only 19 acres added to the fire's footprint.

The South Rim fire is burning on 4,179 acres with no containment, according to federal fire maps.

Overnight cloud cover prevented crews from getting an updated infrared map of the fire, but those same clouds helped mitigate the fire's spread, Operations Section Chief Tyler Nathe said in a Thursday morning briefing.

"Not a whole lot of precipitation over the fire area, but with the cloud cover and milder conditions, we had a really good, mellow day across the fire," Nathe said.

Evening rain showers, higher humidity and lower temperatures helped slow the fire's growth overnight, according to the Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 3.

Douglas County airport fire that burned part of Chatfield State Park sparked by passing train

Mandatory evacuations remain in effect for nearby homes and trails, including the Bostwick Park area.

The national park remains closed to the public, with no timeline to reopen, and all campground reservations have been canceled for 2025.

A section north of U.S. 50 along Colorado 347 and an area between Rawhide Gulch and the Montrose Reservoir remain under pre-evacuation orders, according to a map created by Montrose County officials.

Resources fighting the fire Thursday include 458 people, 23 fire engines and five aircraft.

Curecanti National Recreation Area is open to the public, but the Blue Mesa Reservoir remains closed west of the middle bridge so aerial crews can access and use the water, fire officials said.

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The Turner Gulch, Wright Draw, Deer Creek, South Rim and Sowbelly fires are burning on at least 20,866 acres in Mesa, Delta and Montrose counties, fueled by extremely dry trees, brush and grass. Several of the fires are burning in rugged, remote terrain that’s difficult, if not impossible, for fire crews to access.

Extreme drought conditions mean firefighters are contending with some of the driest conditions possible, fire behavior analyst Glen Lewis said at a community meeting for the Turner Gulch and Wright Draw fires in Gateway on Wednesday night.

Although there’s normally a monsoonal season in on the Western Slope at this point in the summer, no significant rain is expected in the next two weeks, he said.

Most of the central Western Slope remains under an air quality advisory for wildfire smoke until at least Thursday morning, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

The advisory includes Mesa, Garfield, Eagle, Pitkin, Lake, Delta, Gunnison, Chaffee, Montrose, San Miguel and Ouray counties.

Jump to: Turner Gulch fire | Wright Draw fire | Deer Creek fire | South Rim fire  |  Sowbelly fire

Turner Gulch fire and Wright Draw fire near Gateway

Mesa County’s Turner Gulch fire, which exploded in size late Monday night and early Tuesday, is burning on 13,984 acres with no containment, fire officials said Wednesday in Gateway.

The combination of extreme drought and high temperatures are similar to conditions on the deadly South Canyon fire, a 1994 wildfire near Glenwood Springs that killed 14 firefighters, said Lewis, the fire behavior analyst. Operations leaders are on high alert and are prioritizing firefighter safety, officials said Wednesday.

The Wright Draw fire, on the opposite side of Unaweep Canyon, is still burning on 448 acres, fire officials said.

The landscape around both lightning-sparked fires includes “unforgiving country” that makes it difficult or impossible for fire crews to enter or even plan around, operations section chief Travis Lipp said. There are at least 475 firefighters and other experts responding.

Fire officials are focusing on protecting homes and infrastructure and shoring up fire lines, and there may be some fire containment by Thursday, Lipp said.

Colorado 141 remains closed between 7.40 Road and 16.10 Road at mile marker 124 because of the fire, according to state transportation officials.

Land around Colorado 141 from mile marker 120 to mile marker 134 is under mandatory evacuation orders, according to Mesa County sheriff’s officials. The stretch between mile markers 134 and 137 remains under pre-evacuation orders.

Deer Creek fire near Paradox

The Deer Creek fire, which crept into Colorado from Utah, has burned more than 14,700 acres between the two states, fire officials said.

As of Wednesday morning, the wildfire was burning on 14,760 acres and was 7% contained. That’s another 1,800-acre jump from Tuesday, when Utah officials first reported the fire had crossed state lines.

Although it’s unknown how many acres the Deer Creek fire has scorched in Colorado, federal fire maps showed it was burning on a section of land more than two miles long and, at its widest, about two miles across.

The burn area is just north of Colorado 90 in Montrose County, near Paradox. It encompasses multiple county roads and parts of Ice Lake Creek and Lion Creek.

Dry thunderstorms and gusty winds fueled the fire’s overnight growth, fire officials said.

The fire has shut down Rimrocker Trail at Q13 Road and Good Road, U5 Road at the turn for the Buckeye Reservoir and X2 Road, according to Montrose County officials.

South Rim fire near Montrose

A wildfire that sparked in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is burning on more than 4,000 acres with no containment, including most of the park’s south rim, according to fire officials.

The South Rim fire was last mapped at 4,160 acres in and around the park, Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 3 officials said Wednesday. Fire crews are making good progress on building fire lines and are focused on the western edge of the fire, although extremely steep terrain is making that difficult along the northwest side.

Flames have consumed about 85% of the Black Canyon’s south rim, park Superintendent Stuart West said at a community meeting Tuesday night at Grace Community Church in Montrose.

“It will look very different than when you saw it last time,” he told the crowd.

Although the visitor’s center is still standing, the fire destroyed a maintenance building and all of the park’s heavy equipment. No homes or structures in the nearby Bostwick Park area have been damaged.

The national park remains closed to the public with no timeline to reopen, and mandatory evacuations are in effect for nearby homes and trails, including the Bostwick Park area. All campground reservations for Black Canyon have been canceled for the rest of 2025, and the park will not be taking any new reservations, West said.

As of Monday morning, two zones — including a section north of U.S. 50 along Colorado 347 and an area between Rawhide Gulch and the Montrose Reservoir — were under pre-evacuation orders, according to a map created by Montrose County officials.

Even after the fire is under control, visitors will not be able to enter the inner canyon because of unstable rock, West said.

“We realize the Black Canyon is a valuable resource to this community and to the country and a return to normal is in everyone’s best interest, but it’s going to take quite some time,” he said.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison generates $35 million in revenue for the city and county of Montrose, emergency manager Scott Hawkins said.

Although the nearby Curecanti National Recreation Area is unscathed, about 500 acres of federal land is still at risk, Bureau of Land Management field office manager Jon Kaminsky said Tuesday night. The land includes habitat for the threatened Gunnison sage-grouse, livestock forage and areas of recreation, hunting and fishing.

The fire started early Thursday when a passing storm caused at least seven lightning strikes in the park, incident meteorologist Scott Stearns said. Although more storms moving through the area will bring some cloud cover and cooler temperatures through the weekend, they also bring a high threat of more lightning strikes, which could start new fires, and little chance of substantial rain to aid firefighters.

“This fire is still very active,” fire officials stated on Facebook. “Even with all the good work underway, it takes time — crews need to be confident the fireline will hold, especially in steep and challenging terrain.”

Abundant, extremely dry fuel sources are fueling the fire’s spread day, and night and debris rolling down the canyon is igniting areas below, sending flames rushing back up the steep slopes, officials said.

There isn’t an imminent threat of the fire reaching U.S. 50, but it’s not out of the question, Stearns said.

Resources fighting the fire include 420 people, 21 fire engines and helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft along with two scooper planes capable of picking up 1,412 gallons of water in 12 seconds.

Sowbelly fire near Delta

Fire crews gained 13% containment on the Sowbelly fire, which is burning on federal land along the border of three western Colorado counties, officials said Wednesday.

Firefighters also managed to stop the 2,274-acre wildfire from growing Wednesday, according to the Bureau of Land Management Colorado.

The fire is burning in the Dominguez-Escalante Canyon National Conservation Area, about 12 miles west of Delta near the edge of Montrose, Delta and Mesa counties.

Although the fire is mainly “creeping and smoldering,” gusty winds caused some fire torching. And scattered lightning halted firefighting efforts, officials said Wednesday. Fire crews are focused on keeping the fire from jumping north over ZS Road and spreading into Escalante Canyon.

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