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Steve Mundinger
At this moment, a handful of wildfires are already burning in Colorado at an early stage of summer 2021. It’s hard to overlook the haze in the air, and the dry, brittle look of the vegetation up and down the Roaring Fork Valley.
Welcome rains over the weekend and earlier this week helped to slow down the Sylvan Fire, which had previously threatened the upper Frying Pan Valley, and it appears firefighters have gained the edge there.
However, among the seven wildfires burning across the state’s Western Slope, only two have been fully contained and more than 20,000 acres have already been torched. So, while we should all celebrate the respite provided by the recent rains, it will still take a conscious, collective effort to ensure summer 2021 isn’t defined by smoke-filled skies and a nagging sense of agitation and dread.
Major Colorado wildfires burning right now 9news.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from 9news.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Sylvan fire burning outside of Eagle grew to 3,583 acres Wednesday morning with no progress in containment, the U.S. Forest Service said.
Despite firefighting efforts, the fire spread across West Brush Creek Road on Tuesday. Firefighters will work Wednesday to prevent any further movement in that area using two heavy helicopters and a light helicopter, officials said.
As a contingency plan, firefighters will also work to scout the East Brush Creek Road for fire line opportunities.
Map of the Sylvan Fire on Wednesday. Map courtesy InciWeb.
Firefighters were able to burn in some fire line north and east of Crooked Creek Park to keep the fire from moving farther south, officials said. Crews will also use air tankers to help contain the heel of the fire on the north side.
Current Colorado wildfires burning 9news.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from 9news.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.