As wildfires burn across Colorado, here's what experts told Denver7's Maggie Bryan about the dangers of wildfire smoke.

Aggressive wind gusts on Thursday afternoon caused the rapid expansion of wildfires across Western Colorado. As of Friday morning, many fires are left blazing and releasing smoke into the atmosphere. Much of that smoke is smothering local communities and diminishing the air quality across the region.

More than a dozen fires are creating heavy smoke, with more lightning and gusty winds expected for parts of the Western Slope Friday.

Three wildfires were likely to blame for the smoky conditions late Thursday and early Friday across Southwest Colorado, according to the National Weather Service in Grand Junction. One of those fires

Residents in a small San Juan County town have been asked to evacuate due to a new wildfire in the area.Officials said people along Deer Creek Road in La Sal sh

We are continuing to track the fires all across western Colorado, with the South Rim Fire within the Black Canyon of the Gunnison seeing over 1,600 acres burned as of midnight this morning.

At around 3 p.m., the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office announced that evacuations near Old La Sal, Utah, are taking place due to a wildfire that started earlier Thursday afternoon. The Lasal Community Center,

One county in Colorado is rolling out a new wildfire management program that will provide coverage seven days a week -- the first time Jefferson County has ever offered that level of protection.The program comes as the county faces some of the highest wildfire risks in the state.