Hundreds of firefighters descend on Colorado
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Four fires burning more than 20,000 acres on Colorado’s Western Slope are still mostly uncontained, and a 14,000-acre fire that started in Utah is now firmly in Colorado as of Wednesday.
Evacuations are still underway for people in Montrose because of a wildfire burning in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.
The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park remains evacuated and closed due to the South Rim Fire, which grew to nearly 4,000 acres by Monday morning and remains zero percent contained.
Four of the five wildfires burning in Colorado have together consumed more than 19,300 acres, according to fire officials. How much Colorado land the fifth has burned is unknown.
Rapid growth on the South Rim fire in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park forced immediate evacuations in Montrose County on Saturday afternoon.
Officials have set a goal date for containment of the nearly 4,000-acre and, so far, 0% contained South Rim Fire that has been burning in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park for days.
The South Rim Fire inside Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park has grown to 3,633 acres in size and is 0% contained, according to a Monday update from firefighters.
Multiple aircraft are fighting the fire and a federal incident management team is set to take command of the fire first thing Friday, emergency officials said.
MONTROSE, Colo. — Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in southwestern Colorado is closed due to wildfires, the park said on its website . The fires were caused by lightning strikes Thursday morning, the park said. All visitors and staff were evacuated, and no one will be allowed to enter until further notice.
Wildfires have forced evacuations at two U.S. national parks in the West as summer monsoon storms increase lightning in the region.
Governor Jared Polis has declared an emergency in Montrose, Delta, and Mesa counties due to raging wildfires, including the South Rim Fire in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, which has burned over 3,