Fire crews in Colorado have their hands busy with tough conditions battling four wildfires burning on the Western Slope as poor air quality due to wildfire smoke continues to impact residents.
Closer to the Denver metro, the Airport Fire which burned in Douglas County, was fully contained as of Wednesday and officials say it is likely a train sparked that fire.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis over the weekend verbally declared a disaster declaration which will help free up state and federal resources for fire crews.
Denver7 is continuing to monitor changing conditions on the Western Slope and is updating the progress of each fire below. Check back for updates throughout the day on Thursday.
TURNER GULCH FIRE
The largest of four wildfires burning in western Colorado has consumed 15,071 acres and while fire crews say they have made progress, the Turner Gulch fire burning off Highway 141in Mesa County stands at 0% containment as of Thursday morning.
On Wednesday evening, evacuation orders were issued for "all private in-holdings" inside Divide Forks Campground ear Gateway. A evacuation center has been set up at Clifton Community Campus.
It is believed lightning caused the fire on Thursday, July 10 – as around 100 people attended a community meeting Wednesday night in Gateway to learn more about firefighting efforts.
Fire officials are asking the public to avoid flying personal drones near wildfires as they “can interfere with firefighting efforts and put our brave firefighters at risk.”
“This fire remains active and continues to make significant advances to the east as winds become aligned with the terrain. Fire officials are developing a strategy to protect values while providing for the safety of firefighters and the public,” wrote wildfire officials on Wednesday.
SOWBELLY FIRE
The Sowbelly Fire burning in the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Area in Delta and Mesa counties and has grown to 2,274 acres in size. The fire's containment increased from 13 to 16% on Thursday.
"Yesterday more progress was made in securing perimeter line, creating a containment of 16%. The fire is creeping and smoldering except when afternoon storms create outflow winds. Scattered lightning creates hazardous conditions for crews and the potential for new starts. Today’s crews will continue mop up operations with a goal of solidifying more containment," wrote wildfire officials.
The fire was first reported on Thursday, July 10.
On Wednesday, officials said 69 personnel were helping to fight the fire with the priority of keeping it contained north of ZS Road and limit any further spread into Dominguez Canyon Wilderness
"It is burning in pinyon-juniper fuels. Currently local resources, smoke jumpers, and air attack are responding to the incident, but suppression has been a challenge due to difficulty accessing the fire based on terrain and location," wrote wildfire officials.
- Denver7 anchor Shannon Ogden talked to an official at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park on the difficult decision to close the park to visitors during the busy summer period. Watch in the player below.
SOUTH RIM FIRE
At last check, the South Rim Fire had burned around 4,179 acres with 0% containment.
The lightning-sparked fire was first reported a week ago on the canyon's south rim. As of Thursday morning, resources attacking the fire included 458 personnel, 5 aircraft, 23 engines and 8 different crews. Crews said weather conditions have helped limit fire activity.
The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park remains evacuated and closed because of the South Rim Fire. A half-million people visit the park every year and the closure comes during the peak season for visitors.
On Wednesday, Denver7 anchor Shannon Ogden spoke to Stewart West, superintendent Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park about the decision to close an entire national park during summertime.“This was a no-brainer because the area that burned is the area most of the visitors come to,” said West.
Ogden asked about how the decision will be made on when to reopen the park.
“It’s different for different parks. There’s often fires that occur in parks and they can remain open. If it’s a large park, the part that’s not on fire can stay open,” said West “In this case, the part that most of the visitors go to – we know 100% of the visitors go to for the most part – because the fire is right around that area, we’re going to close the park and keep it closed until we can get it safe enough for visitors.”
It’s not clear when Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park will reopen. For people still looking to visit the area, Ogden did some searching and added Curecanti National Recreation Area is nearby, on the Gunnison River and open for visitors.
WHITE DRAW FIRE
During an update on Wednesday, Operations Sections Chief Rob Powell said “it grew a little bit” from Tuesday and has burned just under 500 acres with 0% containment reported.
The fire,which broke out on Thursday, July 10, is burning just west of Highway 141 in Mesa County in a difficult-to-reach area. “We have a spike cam set up there,” said Powell, who added fire crews were in the area with “four to five engines.”
There were helicopters working in the area.
"Due to the steep, unfavorable nature of the current fire area on the mesa southwest of North Fork West Creek gulch, crews are assessing the surrounding lower terrain where they can safely manage the fire perimeter. Efforts will focus on identifying values that may be at risk if the fire spreads to the north," wrote wildfire officials.
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