Smoky skies expected this week in Durango
Courtesy of U.S. Forest Service
Southwest Colorado will experience hazy skies this week as a result of wildfires burning in Arizona and Utah, according to the National Weather Service.
AirNow, a partnership between governmental agencies, detected a smoke plume Monday drifting over the Four Corners. Air quality was still good in the area, according to AirNow, but hot, dry weather this week could keep the smoke around and fire danger high.
“It looks like smoke from the Telegraph Fire might be in the Four Corners area later Monday or Tuesday,” said Michael Charnick, National Weather Service meteorologist. “We can expect that to continue for the next few days with the high pressure and warm temperatures.”
The Telegraph Fire has burned 88,589 acres in southern Arizona, southeast of Phoenix, according to InciWeb. However, the smoke is likely coming from a variety of sources, including the Pack Creek Fire outside of Moab, Charnick said. That fire has burned 8,243 acres and is 6% contained, according to InciWeb.
“It’s still going to be extremely hot and extremely dry through the middle of the week so we want to encourage everyone to still follow fire safety guidelines,” Charnick said.
The National Weather Service had not issued a red flag warning for the region as of Monday because winds are forecast to be below 25 mph through the middle of the week. Red flag warnings are issued based on humidity, wind speeds and fuel conditions.
The upper area of the San Juan National Forest, including northern La Plata County, had a high fire danger Monday. The lower area, including southern La Plata County, had an extreme fire danger rating.
As of Monday, no fire restrictions were in effect for the San Juan National Forest or La Plata County, according to government websites.
The Southern Ute Indian Tribe initiated Stage 1 fire restrictions Monday, prohibiting open burning, agricultural burning, campfires and fireworks.
“Drought has a firm grip on Southwest Colorado so please always practice fire safety precautions to prevent human-caused fires,” the San Juan National Forest Service said on its website.
Fire managers and partner agencies met Monday to plan for implementation of Stage 1 fire restrictions this week, according to a U.S. Forest Service Facebook post.
“In the meantime, we can all do our part to prevent human-caused wildfires during the week's excessive heat and ongoing extreme drought,” the post said.
People should:
- Consider campfire alternatives. Ninety percent of wildfires are human-caused.
- Never leave campfires unattended. Doing so is illegal and dangerous.
- Extinguish campfires with plenty of water (think a 5-gallon bucket). Coals should be fully extinguished and cool to the touch.
smullane@durangoherald.com
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