Colorado wildfire grows to more than 50,000 acres

 

The Pine Gulch Fire has surpassed 50,000 acres, making it the 7th largest fire in Colorado’s recorded history.

According to a Wednesday morning update, the Pine Gulch Fire is now 51,455 acres and remains at 7 percent containment. Red flag conditions contributed to a very active day of growth on Tuesday according to Out There Colorado

Dangerous “red flag” conditions continue to exist today, with temperatures expected to exceed 90 degrees and low humidity in the area. Winds up to 27 miles per hour are also forecasted.

The largest fire in Colorado’s recorded history was the 2002 Hayman Fire in Pike National Forest. It burnt 137,760 acres and resulted in five firefighter deaths.

This is followed in the ranking of largest fires by the 2013 110,405-acre West Fork Complex Fire and the 2018 108,045-acre Spring Creek Fire.

The Pine Gulch Fire now approaches the sixth largest fire in Colorado’s recorded history – the 416 & Burro Fire Complex at 54,129 acres.

Seven of the ten largest fires in Colorado’s recorded history have occurred in the last ten years.

Another fire is also causing problems in Colorado, shutting down I-70 through Glenwood Canyon and resulting in the evacuation of a number of Coloradans.

Source: Out There Colorado