Hot, dry and windy conditions fanned the flames of four fires burning across western Colorado on Friday.
Spring Creek fire
The Spring Creek fire, located just south of Parachute, continued to burn overnight, officials said. Mapping of the fire showed Friday that it has burned 2,910 acres.
Fire officials plan to hold a community meeting 6 p.m. Friday evening in Parachute to provide information and updates.
The fire is 21% contained and 441 firefighters are working on the fire, according to fire command.
Spring Creek Road and High Mesa Road are open to local traffic only. The public is asked to avoid the area if possible. There are no current evacuations.
Coalmine fire
Firefighters in southwestern Colorado Thursday faced the Coalmine fire in Archuleta County. The fire erupted Wednesday and spread quickly, reaching 190 acres by the end of the day.
As of about noon Friday, the fire had burned across 286 acres, according to the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office.
While aircraft continue to drop water and fire retardant, ground crews are working with county equipment on the fire line to solidify the fire’s perimeter and prevent further spreading, officials said.
Westerly winds were expected in the area on Friday afternoon, and pre-evacuation notices in the area remain posted.
Chris Mountain fire
The Chris Mountain fire, located about 12 miles west of Pagosa Springs and north of U.S. 160, continued to burn overnight, authorities reported on a federal fire data website. Evacuation orders remain active in the area.
Aircraft – including a helicopter hauling water and airtanker loaded with fire retardant – were dispatched to the area Thursday afternoon, focusing on the east flank of the fire to keep it out of the drainage area, San Juan National Forest officials stated.
The fire grew Thursday, from 120 acres to 200, and began to cross through the retardant lines attempting to contain the flames, authorities wrote in their latest update.
Retardant is only effective when wet and when firefighters on the ground can reinforce the barrier, the update stated. Due to the difficult terrain in the spreading areas, firefighters Friday morning were unable to engage the fire on the ground and have temporarily pulled back on retardant efforts.
The fire is “moderately active” as of 9 a.m. and fire managers are beginning to scout ahead of the fire’s path for containment options, officials said. Helicopters will continue to drop water on the fire throughout the day to protect private properties.
The fire, which was caused by a lightning strike, is 0% contained.
Arkansas Loop fire
Firefighters worked to contain another fire burning on Southern Ute land, identified as the Arkansas Loop fire.
The fire’s footprint only expanded one acre overnight Thursday and is currently burning on 127 acres, said Rich Gustafson, fire management officer for the Southern Ute Agency.
“The fire is difficult to fight because of the steepness of the terrain,” Southern Ute spokeswoman Summer Begay said Friday morning. “We have mostly aviation efforts dedicated to putting out the fire and ground crews working to contain the perimeter.”
The Bureau of Indian Affairs Fire Management has the fire contained at 5%, according to a Friday afternoon news release.
Gustafson said the fire is not expected to grow, but that continued hot, dry and windy conditions could exacerbate the flames today. If the 100 firefighters on-scene continue to contain the fire Friday, the agency will begin to wind down the operation and slowly decrease the number of workers in the area. Aviation resources have been primarily used given the steep and rugged nature of the terrain.
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