Wildfire in western Colorado balloons to 8,140 acres overnight with more ‘extreme fire behavior’ expected
Drought conditions, dry fuels and high winds are contributing to ‘extreme fire behavior’ at the Turner Gulch Fire in Mesa County

InciWeb/Courtesy photo
A wildfire in western Colorado more than quadrupled in size overnight, quickly becoming the largest blaze burning in the state.
The Turner Gulch Fire burning about 8 miles northeast of Gateway ballooned from 1,470 acres in size Monday to 8,140 acres as of Tuesday morning, according to , the federal government’s wildfire information system.
Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1 assumed control of the Turner Gulch Fire and the smaller Wright Draw Fire, burning nearby on about 341 acres, around 6 a.m. Tuesday, Incident Commander Justin Conrad said in a news release.
The two wildfires burning on either side of the Unaweep Canyon in Mesa County have closed Colorado Highway 141 at Mile Post 124, south of Grand Junction. The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office has in the area.
Firefighters expect “extreme fire behavior” to continue Tuesday due to drought conditions, extremely dry fuels, winds, and high temperatures. The potential for dry thunderstorms with gusty winds “could have a significant impact on fire activity,” according to the release.

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There are 122 personnel responding to the Turner Gulch and Wright Draw fires, according to InciWeb. Both of the wildfires were sparked by lightning around July 10, with no containment so far.
Other large wildfires in Colorado experienced less extreme growth since Monday. The South Rim Fire burning in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park was estimated at 3,988 acres as of Tuesday, while the Sowbelly Fire burning in the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area was estimated at 2,274 acres as of Tuesday morning, according to InciWeb.

The South Rim, Sowbelly, Turner Gulch, and Wright Draw fires, as well as the Deer Creek Fire burning near the Utah border, are impacting air quality along the Western Slope, according to the . An air quality health advisory is in place for Mesa, Hinsdale, and San Juan counties and the Grand Junction area.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis issued a disaster declaration for the wildfires in southwest Colorado earlier this week. The National Interagency Fire Center has set the national wildland fire preparedness , meaning national resources are heavily committed.
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