A growing lightning-sparked wildfire has burned across more than 300 acres southwest of Delta in the Dominguez Escalante National Conservation Area in western Colorado and firefighters on Tuesday planned a full suppression approach.
It’s one of multiple fires burning around western Colorado.
This Little Mesa fire about 15 miles from Delta, discovered smoldering on July 31, has intensified amid dry conditions, heat, and wind. More than 60 firefighters were trying to control flames devouring pinon pine, juniper trees and sagebrush on Tuesday, with air support from helicopters lugging buckets of water, according to a federal Bureau of Land Management fire bulletin. Helicopters were drawing water from the Potholes Recreation Area, and firefighting commanders asked that residents stay out of that area so that pilots aren’t distracted.
No formal evacuations or closures have been ordered.
On Monday night, firefighters set backfires along the Tatum Ridge Road reducing vegetation, trying to deny fuel for the larger fire and protect Escalante Canyon.
