DENVER (KDVR) — A wildfire that sparked in the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area on Thursday after lightning hit has burned through 2,251 acres and remains 0% contained as of Sunday night.
The Sowbelly Fire sparked on Thursday after lightning struck, and the Delta County Sheriff’s Office said dry fuels, temperatures over 100 degrees and gusty winds from the southwest caused extreme fire conditions and several wildfires to spark in the area.
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The drought conditions have caused several fires to spark on Colorado’s Western Slope over the weekend. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis made a disaster declaration on Sunday for four wildfires burning in the area.
Other wildfires in the area include the South Rim Fire in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, which has burned more than 3,600 acres, two fires in Mesa County that have burned more than 1,000 acres near the town of Gateway and the more than 10,000-acre Deer Creek Fire burning in eastern Utah.
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Photo of the Sowbelly Fire along the rim of Escalante Canyon. -
Sowbelly smoke coming up over the ridgeline on Thursday July 10th. -
A wildfire being called the Sowbelly Fire started in Mesa County on Thursday. (Credit Delta County Sheriff’s Office) -
Smoke in the canyons of Dominguez-Escalante with a rainbow. (BLM Colorado)
Local resources and smoke jumpers have responded to the Sowbelly Fire, but the sheriff’s office said it has been difficult to access the fire due to the terrain and location, with thick brush and a lack of roads in the wilderness.
