GRAND JUNCTION — A wildfire burning in western Colorado has grown to over 18 square miles in hot and dry conditions that are expected to continue through Friday.
The Pine Gulch Fire 18 miles north of Grand Junction was started nearly a week ago by lightning. It is burning in remove and rough terrain in Mesa and Garfield counties.
Meanwhile, a wildfire that broke out west of Glenwood Springs shut down Interstate 70 in both direction for several hours on Wednesday, the Glenwood Springs Post Independent reported. The fire north of the highway was burning on steep areas of Bureau of Land Management property and estimated to be about 40 acres Wednesday afternoon.
A red flag warning was in effect Thursday for much of western Colorado along with parts of Utah, Wyoming and Idaho.