MONTROSE COUNTY, Colo. — A wildfire burning on Colorado’s Western Slope exploded more than ten-fold in size a day after igniting northeast of Nucla.
The Bucktail Fire had grown to 3,155 acres in size by late Saturday, after firefighters responded to a 111-acre fire on private land in the Bucktail drainage, about 6.5 miles northeast of Nucla near County Road 25 at around 11:20 a.m. Thursday.
The fire was at 5% containment, officials said Saturday at around 7 p.m.
Fire officials said the blaze is burning in pinyon pine, juniper and oak brush and has “very high spread potential and is exhibiting extreme fire behavior.”
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The fire was moving northeast and smoke was visible from Norwood, but San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office deputies said in an update Thursday afternoon there was no threat to the county, no structures in danger and evacuations planned.
County Road 25 Mesa is closed due to the fire, officials said, and the closure extends from the 25 Mesa/Divide Road intersection to where the pavement starts on 25 Mesa outside of Nucla.
Sheriff’s officials urged people to avoid calling police dispatchers to report the smoke. Additionally, officials ask people to avoid flying drones as to not hamper firefighting efforts.
“This is a slope and fuel-driven fire,” fire officials said in their Friday update, in which multiple firefighting resources aggressively responded, including 11 aircraft including 1 very large, 4 large, and 4 single-engine air tankers. Two helicopters; five engines including one from Telluride and one from the Nucla Naturita Fire Department, one 16-person Job Corp Buzzard Creek hand crew, and Montrose County dozers were helping battle the blaze, officials wrote.
Two more hand crews were expected to fight the fire alongside the crews already on scene Friday, they said.
Smoke may be visible in the area for the next several days, fire officials said.
“Fire managers would like to remind forest users to continue to be attentive of their actions and surroundings, especially in areas with dry vegetation or dead/down trees,” fire officials said. “Practice smart wildfire prevention behavior, including never leaving a campfire unattended, using established campfire rings, picking safe and proper campfire sites, and ensuring that their fires are completely out and cool to the touch by using the drown, stir and feel method.”
Wildfires are now a year-round threat in Colorado. Denver7 is committed to covering their impact and the people working to find solutions to the threat.