Fires Ignite in Colorado

Fires have been burning all day throughout Colorado, increasing allergies and making breathing difficult. High winds and humidity in the single digits have added to the problems, driving flames and spreading smoke and ashes further east.

As the wind dies down this evening, most of the fires have been put out, or at least contained. Summit, Larimer, Morgan, Weld, and Logan Counties, all have dealt or are dealing with small fires.

Hardest hit is Jefferson County where multiple fires took off, the largest of which, the Lower North Fork fire, is still uncontrolled, and burning over 200 acres at this time. So far it has caused mandatory evacuations, for 400 plus homes, in the south west Denver metro area. Roxborough and Conifer have been directly effected by the fire, though no structures have been lost. Firefighters battling it hope to contain it by the end of the night.

Photo Courtesy of Danny Grace

Views from Aurora, in the eastern metro, show just how thick the smoke is. The picture was taken from an area about thirty-five miles away from the fire. It also highlights the return of the infamous red sun, as the sun is choked by the smoke from the fires.

Near Saddle Rock, in the south east metro, it smells as if someone is having a nice bonfire just down the street. The smoke has pervaded itself into everything, luckily the fires have not.