Residents Told They Must Relocate—’Immediate Threat to Life’

Dozens of people have been told they must flee their homes as the Elkhorn Fire in Southwestern Colorado posed an “immediate threat to life” on Tuesday.

Why It Matters

The Elkhorn Fire began on Saturday when a structure ignited. The fire is in northern La Plata County and has prompted fire officials to urge people in three evacuations to leave immediately due to of the fire’s proximity.

The fire is around 344 acres in size and is 0 percent contained, although Elkhorn Fire Public Information Officer Lorena Williams told Newsweek that firefighters made good progress on the fire on Monday.

What To Know

As of Tuesday morning, 41 homes within the region have been ordered to evacuate.

“LEAVE NOW. Immediate threat to life,” the evacuation said. “This area is closed to public access.”

Two other evacuation zones southwest of the flames are in a pre-evacuation stage, which means evacuation orders are likely.

There have been no injuries or fatalities. The structure where the fire ignited is the only structure that has been destroyed.

The fire is moving further away from populations, CPR News reported, but Williams said the presence of strong winds could worsen fire conditions. Weather will be mostly favorable on Tuesday, with cloud cover, lower temperatures and high humidity, but the presence of steady winds and outflow winds from thunderstorms could worsen the situation.

“Unpredictable, erratic outflow winds from thunderstorms, if they hit at the wrong place at the wrong time, it can change an outcome,” Williams said.

Further north, people in Mesa County, Colorado, were warned they might have to temporarily relocate because of the severity of wildfire smoke in the region. That smoke was from the Turner Gulch fire, and the air quality alert was not in place on Tuesday.

What People Are Saying

Elkhorn Fire Public Information Officer Lorena Williams told Newsweek: “At the head of the fire is Bear Creek drainage, which is extremely rugged and difficult to access. That is the next puzzle to work on with this fire team, to make sure we have a good plan in place to address the fire in the canyon while keeping firefighters safe in really dangerous conditions.”

The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Grand Junction, Colorado, said in a hazardous weather outlook: “Isolated to scattered showers and a few storms will be possible this afternoon and evening, mainly over the San Juans and central mountains. Gusty outflow winds will be the main concern.”

What Happens Next

An update on Facebook from Elkhorn Fire Information said additional firefighting resources are expected to arrive on Tuesday, including more fire engines.