HAYDEN – More firefighters and equipment have been brought in to help fight the newest of two wildfires burning in northwestern Colorado.
The Deep Creek Fire near Hayden was reported Monday and winds have helped spread it to about 3.5 square miles as of Wednesday evening.
Officials in Routt County say hot-shot crews from Wyoming and two helicopters are helping fight the blaze, which is burning in prime elk habitat.
A second nearby blaze, the Big Red Fire, has burned about 2 square miles near the Wyoming border. It started Aug. 19 but has spread in the past few days in hot, dry weather.
Smoke from those two wildfires and others burning in the Pacific Northwest has created unhealthy air quality across western Colorado. It’s also obscured the view of the mountains from Denver and the Front Range.
On Wednesday morning, the first crews of additional firefighters and their equipment ere brought in to help fight the blaze in northwestern Colorado.
Steamboat Today reported that dozers and aircraft, including an air tanker, were brought in Tuesday. The fire, which is believed to have been started by lightning, sent ash raining down on Steamboat 13 miles away.
