DENVER – There will be high fire danger across the eastern half of Colorado Monday as strong winds continue to blow down from the Front Range.
There are red flag warnings in effect across the entire Front Range and eastern portion of the state, and high wind warnings in effect across northeast Colorado. The strongest winds are expected between Greeley and Limon, the National Weather Service said.
The winds out of the northwest are expected to be sustained at between 20-45 miles per hour, with gusts of up to 65 mph.
There was a brush fire reported near E-470 and Quincy around 10:30 a.m., and a flare-up from a fire that burned five homes and four barns near Kiowa was spotted around the same time, authorities said.
The E-470 fire was mostly contained by 11:15 a.m.
Here’s a look at the brush fire that ignited on E-470 and Jewell. It looks contained but there’s still a heavy firefighter presence here trying to make sure there are no more hot spots that could reignite with the wind. @DenverChannel pic.twitter.com/OoKYcoQySe
— Meghan Lopez (@Meghan_Lopez) March 5, 2018
The Colorado Emergency Operations Center was monitoring statewide fires and weather Monday in order to respond quickly.
There were also travel restrictions put in place for high-profile vehicles and commercial motor vehicles north of Fort Collins Monday afternoon, but that restriction was lifted just before 5 p.m.
Some flights into and out of Denver International Airport were also expected to be delayed throughout the day due to the high winds.