The National Weather Service issued its first red flag warning of the season on Monday for La Plata County and Southwest Colorado, and later in the afternoon extended it until 9 p.m.
Fire danger was expected to be high for areas below 8,000 feet from noon to 9 p.m.
It’s expected to be a dry, windy day with gusts up to 40 mph, according to the NWS.
The weather service issues a red flag warning to inform people living in the area covered by the alert that conditions are ideal for wildland fires and their rapid spread
Two fires briefly burned out of control Monday in La Plata County, one three miles east of Elmore’s Corner and one near County Road 302, off U.S. Highway 550. They were contained by Durango Fire Protection District firefighters.
A controlled agricultural burn was reported out of control at about 12:40 p.m. three miles east of Elmore’s Corner along County Road 225A, between U.S. Highway 160 and County Road 510, according to Scot Davis with the Durango Fire Protection District.
The fire grew to 5 acres. Four engines, a tanker, three crews from DFPD, a wildland fire engine and crew, the battalion chief and his truck worked to control the fire, and it was reported to be under control around 2 p.m.
Another fire, which started in clusters of piñon and juniper trees and burned 1 acre, was reported at about 1:45 p.m. in the 1100 block of County Road 302, off U.S. Highway 550, south of Durango. One brush fire truck, two tankers, one engine, two command vehicles, 10 fire responders and an investigator were called to the location, and DFPD announced at 3:40 p.m. that the fire was under control. The cause is unknown and under investigation.
Areas of Montezuma and Archuleta counties are also included in the warning.
Crews from the Cortez Fire Protection District reported late Monday afternoon that they were fighting two fires on Montezuma County Road G.
The red flag warning, originally set to expire at 6 p.m. Monday, covers much of Southwest Colorado, as well as Delta, Montrose and Mesa counties below 6,000 feet. New fire starts will be difficult or impossible to control because of strong winds, low humidity, and dry grass and brush fuels, the weather service said.
Montezuma County faces extreme drought conditions, classified as D3, and the federal drought map released Thursday showed intensifying dry conditions across northern New Mexico and into southwestern Arizona.
Spring tends to bring high winds, so it is not an unusually early red flag warning, said Norv Larson, a meteorologist with the weather service,
“Grasses are dry and ready to burn,” he said.
Durango Fire Protection District suspended burn permits Monday, and it was strongly discouraging agricultural burning, according to a Twitter post.
The weather service said a strong cold front will drop southward into Utah and Colorado on Monday bringing strong westerly winds in the afternoon. The weather service expects little or no precipitation from the cold front.
The Journal contributed to this report. mshinn@durangoherald.com
