The Spruce Creek fire that’s burning on nearly 5,700 acres of U.S. Forest Service land in southwestern Colorado is 38% contained, fire officials announced Friday.
Firefighters trapped the flames between Forest Road 556 on the west side of the fire and Forest Road 557 on the east side, Forest Service officials said Thursday evening.
The lightning-sparked Spruce Creek fire is burning in part of the San Juan National Forest approximately 11 miles northeast of Dolores in Montezuma County and 21 miles north of Mesa Verde.
After the fire grew thousands of acres overnight Wednesday — more than doubling the burn area — the growth overnight Thursday was minimal, according to fire records. Between Thursday and Friday, the Spruce Creek fire only grew 737 acres, reaching a total burn area of 5,699 acres in the San Juan National Forest.
Fire activity and smoke are both expected to ramp down Friday into the weekend, but crews remain on the scene to patrol the fire’s boundaries, forest officials said. The San Juan National Forest remains closed at this time to protect public health and safety.
Unmanned drones will monitor the fire, which will continue to smolder as the flames eat up downed trees, leaves and pine needles, according to an update posted Friday.
Although Thursday’s heavy smoke that prompted air quality alerts has diminished, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued a new advisory Friday morning.
North-central Montezuma County is under an Air Quality Health Advisory for Wildfire Smoke from 8 a.m. Friday to 9 a.m. Saturday, state officials announced.
“Areas of heavy smoke impacts remain on Friday morning,” the advisory stated. “Improvement of smoke conditions are expected as daytime atmospheric mixing increases, however areas of moderate to heavy smoke remain possible in areas near the fire on Friday afternoon.”
Heavy smoke presents the biggest threat to areas below the fire, especially along Lost Canyon Creek and State Highway 145 south of Rico to Dolores, state officials said in the advisory.
In areas with thick or thickening smoke, residents should remain indoors — especially people with heart disease or respiratory illnesses, as well as very young children and older adults, officials said. People should limit activity outside when smoke is present and consider temporarily relocating.
If the smoke lessens visibility to five miles or less, the air quality has reached unhealthy levels, state officials said.
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