Colorado wildfire update: Heat wave stoking wildfires from New Mexico to Wyoming borders

From the Horse fire near the New Mexico border to the Ryan fire now partly burning in Wyoming, Colorado wildfires continue to scorch new forests and grasslands late in the summer.

A heat wave has energized the fires that continue to make runs in parched areas of the state suffering from drought and low humidity.

U.S. Forest Service officials have walked a tight rope in allocating thinly-stretched resources, including manpower, planes and bulldozers.

Fire crews have been beefed up across Colorado.

Ryan fire

Fire managers continue to funnel more firefighters to the blaze that started on Saturday and has spread to 2,500 acres by late Monday. The fire is at zero-percent containment.

A Type II Team took command of the fire on Monday night. Currently there are 67 firefighters tasked to the fire.

The fire, which is about 27 miles northwest of Walden, has spread north into Wyoming. The fire has been racing through bug-killed lodge-pole pine stands.

Officials evacuated several hunters from the area on Monday. People are urged to check fire closure areas before hunting for elk and deer in the area.

The weather forecast for the next few days remains a big concern.

Horse fire

The lightning-caused fire started Aug. 28 about 16 miles west of Pagosa Springs.

the fire remained at a few hundred acres for a few weeks, but flared up under dry, hot conditions and is now 493 acres in size. Containment is at 50 percent.

“The fire is actively burning with runs, torching and backing,” a fire report says. “Fire behavior is active in the afternoons with short runs due to unseasonable weather conditions.”

Hot, dry and windy conditions are expected to complicate fire supression.

A total of 149 firefighters are now tasked to the wildfire. They are trying to keep the fire west of the Devil Mountain trail and north of the Horse Mountain trail.

Silver Creek fire

The lightning-sparked fire grew nearly 500 acres on Monday and early Tuesday. It is now covers 12,214 acres about 16 miles from Kremmling.

Containment dropped during the heat wave from 76 percent to 35 percent.

Fire suppression staffing has been boosted to 328 firefighters.

Evacuations of the Latigo and Yost ranches and Gore Lakes and Old Park subdivisions remain in force.

Wildfires in Colorado and the U.S.

The map shows active wildfire locations and all 2018 fire perimeters*. The map defaults to Colorado; to see all wildfires, click “U.S.” in the view area. Click the map layers icon in the top right corner of the map to change map backgrounds and to toggle active and contained fires, and perimeters. Click a marker or perimeter for details. To view the full map and a table of all 2018 wildfires, click here.

*Data comes from two sources, GeoMAC and InciWeb, and could contain inconsistencies. Map by Kevin Hamm and Daniel J. Schneider.

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