Lightning sparks blaze north of Durango
A helicopter made several bucket drops Monday afternoon on a small wildfire burning in the Stevens Creek area north of Durango. The chopper was pulling water from Shalona Lake.
A firefighting crew and a helicopter were battling a small, lightning-caused wildfire Monday afternoon on the east side of the Animas Valley north of Durango.
The Stevens Creek Fire was reported about 2 p.m. and had burned only a tenth of an acre as of Monday evening, said Esther Godson, spokeswoman for the San Juan National Forest.
A helicopter was pulling water from Shalona Lake, while 10 firefighters made their way to the fire, she said.
Even though Durango has received significant moisture in the last two weeks, conditions can quickly change and increase fire danger, Godson said.
“With the last couple of days, as you can see, it is hot and drying out quickly,” she said. “These little lightning fires ... can get pretty sporty.”
