Another fire ignited Tuesday afternoon in Southwest Colorado, estimated at 75 acres near Bondad.
Durango Fire Protection District Chief Hal Doughty said Tuesday afternoon that the new fire, called the Six Shooter Fire, was reported near County Road 310 near Bondad, across from the landfill.
Lindsay J. Box, communication specialist with the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, said the blaze was reported about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday on tribal land and by 7 p.m. it was listed at 75 acres with 0% containment.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Southern Ute Agency Fire Management and Los Pinos Fire Protection District were responding. Resources allocated to the blaze included one large air tanker and a single-engine air tanker, Box said.
The fire was moving north and large plumes of smoke were visible in the area, Doughty said. Air and ground crews began their response shortly before 4 p.m.
“The fortunate thing right now is we have a lot of air resources right in the area,” Doughty said, referring to firefighting crews working the East Canyon Fire burning along the La Plata-Montezuma County line.
A Type 3 fire incident team will take control of the fire, and Doughty said he expected the fire to burn for at least a couple of days.
Doughty said roads in the area are being closed for safety and to allow for firefighting operations.
The cause of the fire was unknown Tuesday, and Southern Ute tribal authorities are coordinating with local agencies to ensure public safety and to minimize the impact of the fire, Box said.
The tribe is also working with oil and gas operators in the area to shut off facilities near the fire.
Fires are breaking out across Southwest Colorado at an alarming rate, with several active firefighting efforts, including the East Canyon Fire and the Loading Pen Fire north of Dolores.
A red flag warning is in effect Tuesday and Wednesday as hot and dry conditions persist across the region, with wind gusts up to 45 mph possible, according to the National Weather Service.
Stage 1 fire restrictions are in effect on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. Those restrictions ban:
Open burning, including burning of trash or yard waste.Agricultural burning.Debris burning, including prescribed burns and weed burning.Campfires outside of designated or developed campsites. Restrictions do not include charcoal fires in suitable barbecue grills.Fireworks, either their possession or use.For more information about commercial and industrial restrictions, call the BIA Fire Office at 563-4571.
Fires for sweat ceremonies are allowed, but they should not to be left unattended and should be fully extinguished after use.
Herald Staff Writer Patrick Armijo contributed to this report. jromeo@durangoherald.com