A red flag warning about dangerous fire conditions has been issued for a portion of Southwest Colorado, including Cortez and much of southern La Plata County from noon Sunday through 8 p.m.
Durango is just north of the area covered by the red flag warning.
The warning of dangerous fire conditions comes less than a day after the Telluride Fire Protection District reported that Colorado Highway 145 near Caddis Flats, near the junction with Colorado Highway 62, reopened about 6:25 p.m. Saturday night after the road was briefly closed by a wildfire.
According to the TFPD Facebook page, more than 50 people from multiple agencies responded to an estimated 2½ acre wildfire apparently caused by an unattended campfire on Bureau of Land Management land just west of Caddis Flats.
Besides TFPD, Norwood Fire Protection District, San Miguel County Sheriff Office, U.S. Forest Service, BLM, and the Colorado Department of Transportation worked to contain and control the fire which was fueled by winds.
TFPD reported no one was injured, and no structures were in danger.
“We train together and develop these relationships at the state and federal level to be prepared for events like this, and we are grateful for the support and teamwork, ” TFPD District Chief John Bennett said on the agency’s Facebook page.
BLM is leading the fire investigation.
A red flag warning means conditions such as low humidity, strong winds, and high temperatures favor the rapid ignition and spread of fires.
Agricultural burning is strongly discouraged, by the National Weather Service.
A fire weather watch is in effect for Montezuma County, the southern half of La Plata County and the furthest western section of the Western Slope from Monday morning through Monday evening.
A fire weather watch means critical fire weather conditions are forecast to occur, and the watch could be upgraded to a red flag warning.
parmijo@durangoherald.com
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