Fire danger will be heightened in La Plata County on Friday and Saturday.
The National Weather Service issued a red-flag warning beginning at noon Friday and extending through 10 p.m. Saturday for the county.
The area can expect gusty winds, low humidity and dry fuels, a statement by the National Weather Service said.
“If a fire gets going, it can spread very, very rapidly,” Meteorologist Andrew Lyons said.
The high is expected to be 85 on Friday and Saturday.
Most of the Western Slope and eastern Utah is also expected to have a heightened fire danger over the next two days and possibly into Sunday, the National Weather Service said.
The agency is expecting an average fire season this summer in Colorado, Lyons said.
The snowpack in the Animas River basin is starting to melt quickly, he said.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
