Wildfire breaks out near Durango as southern Colorado’s snowpack bottoms out

DURANGO, Colo. (KJCT) - A wildfire broke out Tuesday afternoon just two miles west of Durango, Colorado. The fire is currently uncontained and has reached 71 acres, but fire crews began containment efforts early on Wednesday morning. Pre-evacuation notices are in effect for the surrounding area, but no evacuations have been ordered. A comprehensive and interactive map of evacuation and pre-evacuation areas can be found here.

The fire grew quickly, consuming the mountainside from the bottom of Rock Ridge Trail to the top of Perin’s Peak. Trail access has been closed for Overend Mountain Park, Twin Buttes, and Peron’s State Wildlife Area. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but personnel suspect it to be a human-caused ignition.

Firefighting personnel stated that the prognosis looks good for the next two days, with wind and heat falling and moisture levels rising. Crews are actively cutting fire lines with the intention of using Wednesday and Thursday’s firefighting-friendly weather conditions to at least partially contain the fire’s perimeter.

Snowpack has virtually disappeared in southern Colorado as temperatures continue to rise and moisture continues to fall, pushing fire danger to dangerously high levels.

The fire has also reached the Lightner Creek Fire burn scar, which may affect the fire’s development.

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