The Pine Gulch fire – Colorado’s first blaze this season when it ignited July 31 – and three other major fires showed no signs of slowing Monday as hot, dry and windy weather fueled flames across hundreds of thousands of acres of timber, brush, and grass, according to the Incident Information System website.

The Grizzly Creek fire reached 25,690 acres Monday and remains the state’s top wildfire priority because of the threat it poses to structures. The blaze caused the closure of a 24-mile stretch Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon, between Glenwood Springs and Gypsum, that began Aug. 10. 

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Williams Fork fire is human-caused, officials-say

Check statewide road conditions from Colorado Department of Transportation here.

Hot and dry conditions, along with winds from the northeast are expected to continue. Fire crews plan to bolster efforts by using heavy equipment in each area of the fire to construct a perimeter.

“Weather for the next two days is a concern,” officials said on the incident page.

Firefighters are protecting structures primarily in No Name and Bair Ranch areas, as well as High Aspen, Spring Valley and other southern areas, which are all near the fire’s eastern perimeter.

Crews began prepping buildings and structures Monday along the No Name creek, where firefighters are also prepared for “any spot fires that cross the creek,” the incident report said.

Crews on the east side of the fire will work to complete indirect fire line construction from I-70 to the Coffee Pot Road.

A private cabin and two small outbuildings have been destroyed by flames, Mary Cernicek, spokeswoman for the Grizzly Creek fire, said.

White River National Forest has expanded the closure in place to protect public safety and support firefighting operations for #GrizzlyCreekFire. The updated map is below. For specifics go to #FireYear2020 pic.twitter.com/E38zUlWyIw

— Grizzly Creek Fire (@fire_grizzly) August 17, 2020

The fire crossed I-70 in spots through Glenwood Canyon in recent days, causing large boulders and logs to fall off the hillside. The steep terrain makes it difficult for firefighters to move freely along the corridor, Cernicek said. In total, 647 firefighters are working to contain the fire.

Containment remains at zero. The Grizzly Creek fire’s cause is unknown.

The Williams Fork fire, the state’s second-highest priority wildfire, erupted Friday and measures 6,645 acres in an area 15 miles southeast of Fraser in Grand County, according to the incident website. That fire is roaring through remote areas that experienced extensive beetle kill in the early 2000s. No evacuations have been issued.

Firefighters haven’t reached any level of containment as of Monday but were able to somewhat control the flames Sunday afternoon thanks to a shift in winds and fire retardant dropped from air resources, officials said. The fire has been ruled as started by human activity.

We are thankful for all the firefighters working to protect our state. Please remember that Summit County is under a Stage 2 fire ban and that it is important to follow fire ban regulations to keep our community safe. Photos of the Williams Fork fire by Mark and Steven Jardim. pic.twitter.com/CwjFLM6hnk

— Town of Silverthorne (@SilverthorneCO) August 17, 2020

The Pine Gulch fire, north of Grand Junction, grew to 86,120 acres as of late Monday, according to the incident website – a size approaching that of Colorado’s fourth-largest fire, the High Park fire, which burned 87,250 acres west of Fort Collins in 2012.

The fire can be seen from Glenwood Springs because flames are “hung up” in the Book Cliffs, Pat Seekins, Operations Section Chief Rocky Mountain Incident Team Type 1, said during a community briefing Monday. This southeastern area of the fire has been the most active over the past few days. It’s moving rapidly and producing a lot of smoke. A total of 826 personnel are assigned to the fire and have a primary focus to keep it controlled in that area, Seekins explained.

Flames of the fire’s south area continued across rugged and steep terrain Monday, which has been inaccessible for crews.

“It’s a tough piece of ground to get firefighters into,” said Seekins.

Crews have identified road systems in the north and west sides of the fire that aid in developing fire containment lines.

“Homes have been protected the past five to six days. Its been going really well,” Seekins said.

The Pine Gulch fire, ignited by lightning, remains at 7% containment.

A few more photos shared from Brush Engine 41’s crew deployed on the #PineGulchFire. This Wildland Team has been working on structure protection and putting out hot spots near structures, among other assignments on the wildfire. pic.twitter.com/Ex7t7MHgJE

— South Metro Fire Rescue (@SouthMetroPIO) August 17, 2020

A fourth fire, the Cameron Peak fire, is burning in the Arapaho and Roosevelt national forests near Cameron Pass and Chambers Lake west of Fort Collins.

The fire that started Aug. 13 surpassed 13,300 acres and like the other three fires, is intensified by the heat and dryness. CO-14 is closed between Walden and Rustic because of the Cameron Peak fire. No structures have been burned.

The fire’s cause is unknown.