DENVER | Wildfires have forced evacuations for visitors and staff and some residents at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison Park as the U.S. West as the summer monsoon season brings increased lightning to the arid region.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, about 260 miles southwest of Denver, closed until further notice after lighting strikes sparked blazes on both rims, park officials said.
One of several wildfires burning in Colorado that closed the Black Canyon park had burned 5.6 square miles as of Sunday night
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis issued a disaster declaration on Sunday because of it and other fires burning in western Colorado. His office said they were all started the same day by the same storm.
Another wildfire burning near the Colorado-Utah border near La Sal, Utah, also started Thursday and has burned around 14 square miles (36.3 square kilometers).
The wildfire on Black Canyon of the Gunnison’s South Rim ignited Thursday and has burned 2.5 square miles (6.5 square kilometers), with no containment of the perimeter. The smaller blaze on the North Rim was out as of Friday, according to an incident map.
The conditions there have been ripe for wildfires with hot temperatures, low humidity, gusty winds and dry vegetation, the park said, adding that weather remained a concern over he next few days.
Fire danger has ramped up in the West as drought conditions have worsened across several states. While monsoon season can drop much-needed moisture on the area from June through September, it can also bring dust storms and thunderstorms like those that ignited the wildfires in the Colorado and Arizona parks.
Firefighters saved Black Canyon’s visitor center along the South Rim by removing dry vegetation and coating the building in a layer of protective material, fire officials said. Small aircrafts from Colorado’s Division of Fire Prevention and Control dropped retardant from the sky Friday while ground crews tried to contain the burn. Some park equipment and sheds were damaged, the park said.
