While thunderstorms this afternoon could bring rain to western Colorado on Friday afternoon, officials said they could make fires worse if high winds fan flames or lightning strikes spark new blazes.
The Lee fire, the fifth-largest in Colorado history, grew more slowly overnight, and firefighters chipped away at containing it. They made greater headway against the Elk fire, bringing it to more than 90% containment. The fires burn on opposite sides of Colorado 13 near Meeker.
Fire officials also reported progress against the Turner Gulch fire in southwest Colorado on Thursday. The Stoner Mesa fire near Dolores held steady, while the Crosho fire near Yampa grew.
Smoke remained a hazard for much of western Colorado on Friday, and two counties issued restrictions on most types of open flames.
Lee and Elk fires, near Meeker
The Lee fire expanded by about 239 acres overnight Thursday into Friday, for a total of 133,841 acres burned. Its growth was slower than the previous night, when the fire charred about 10,000 acres.
Containment also grew slightly, from 10% Thursday evening to 12% Friday morning.
The Elk fire held steady at 14,518 acres overnight, while the share contained increased from 83% to 93%.
Operations section chief Jeramy Dietz said in an update video Friday morning that work on the north and east sides of the Lee fire was “very successful” Thursday, even as the crews were “tested with some winds.” They also made progress against the Elk fire, he said.
“All things look good moving forward into today,” he said.
Firefighters plan to prioritize keeping Colorado 13 open on Friday, but predicted thunderstorms could complicate their efforts, according to an update. The forecast calls for 30 mph winds, which could whip up flames, and lightning strikes that could ignite trees and vegetation.
So far, the Lee fire has destroyed three homes and 12 outbuildings, while the Elk Fire destroyed two homes and two outbuildings. Lightning strikes caused both fires.
Evacuation orders remained in place in the area immediately around Colorado 13 and on either side of the line between Rio Blanco and Moffat counties west of Cow Creek. Pre-evacuation orders applied to the areas east of Cow Creek, around Flag Creek, near State Highway 64 just west of Meeker and south of Ben Good Creek.
Turner Gulch fire
Fire crews contained about 75% of the Turner Gulch fire, and while the western side of the fire remained uncontained, it didn’t grow overnight, according to an update from the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control. The fire burned 31,695 acres.
Crews were “mopping up” the fire line near Cow Creek by searching for heat sources that could point to lingering embers and extinguishing them, the update said. A crew working on the western side of the fire made progress Thursday, but moved to a less-aggressive position on Friday because of the dangers that come with high winds, it said.
Stoner Mesa fire, near Dolores
The Stoner Mesa fire held steady at about 7,390 acres in the San Juan National Forest northeast of Dolores on Friday morning.
The official Stoner Mesa fire information Facebook page said firefighters would be on the lookout for lightning strikes, because of the possibility of thunderstorms while vegetation remains “extremely dry.” Parts of the fire are in steep terrain, so firefighters are looking for the best ways to attack the flames, it said.
Crosho fire, near Yampa
The fire had burned about 2,200 acres as of 10 p.m. Thursday. It started near Crosho Lake on Monday and grew rapidly on Tuesday and Wednesday.
People in the areas around County Roads 13, 15, 19 and 132 west of County Road 11 were under an evacuation order on Friday. Those living east and south of those zones were under a pre-evacuation order.
Statewide impacts
Eastern Dolores County, northern Montezuma County and southern Routt and Rio Blanco counties all were under air quality warnings Friday because of wildfire smoke. The warnings are in effect until 9 a.m. Saturday.
Breathing smoke isn’t good for anyone, but is particularly risky for young children, older adults and people with heart and lung diseases, state health officials said. If someone in a smoke-affected area starts to feel ill, or can’t see landmarks five miles away, they should come inside if possible, or at least reduce their outdoor activity.
Mesa and Gunnison counties announced Thursday that they would move into Stage 2 fire restrictions on Friday. Stage 2 prohibits any open flames not fueled by liquid or gas or activities that could generate sparks, including driving on vegetation, outdoor smoking and lighting fireworks of any type.
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