A lightning-sparked wildfire burning on the south rim of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park has scorched 1,640 acres, federal fire officials said Friday morning.
The South Rim fire is one of two that sparked Thursday morning in the national park in western Colorado and prompted all staff and visitors to be evacuated. The other wildfire, on the north rim, is much smaller, according to Naaman Horn, a public affairs specialist with the National Parks Service.
The South Rim fire is burning nine miles east of Montrose, according to Inciweb, a federal wildfire database, and is 0% contained. The park remains closed until further notice as fire crews from around the state help control the fires.
The state fire division’s multimission aircraft flew over the fire Thursday evening to map out the size of the fire, the agency said. Firefighters are dropping retardant from the sky and fighting the fire from the ground.
A red flag warning remains in effect through 8 p.m. Friday for gusty winds, low humidity and dry fuels that would allow any new fires that spark to spread quickly, according to the National Weather Service.
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