Trail Canyon Fire Near Cortez Sees Rapid Growth

The Trail Canyon Fire grew from approximately 40 acres this morning to 840 acres late this afternoon after strong winds pushed the fire to the southeast. It is burning on Ute Mountain Ute Tribal lands south of Mancos, Colorado, in Montezuma County.

Approximately 65 firefighters have been assigned to the fire and they are being assisted by helicopters and fixed-wing air tankers. Some structures could be threatened if the fire continues to move to the southeast.

A Type 3 Incident Management Team is leading the firefighting effort. Additional resources are expected to arrive tomorrow. Local fire units, as well as a group of eight smoke jumpers, responded yesterday afternoon. The fire is burning in rugged and remote terrain. It’s forward growth slowed when the head of the fire burned out of the Piñon-Juniper forest where it started, and hit a mix of grass and brush.

Smoke from the Trail Canyon Fire has been from US Highway 160 and the Durango and Cortez areas.

Wildfire smoke may affect your health. For more information, please visit https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health

An incident information page has been established at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7557/

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