Deer Creek Fire
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The Turner Gulch fire burning southwest of Grand Junction in western Colorado exploded overnight, more than quintupling in size and forcing new evacuations.
Crews are fighting five western slope blazes, including one at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. See the latest map of the Colorado fires.
Heavy winds that swept through Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park on Sunday night started “rapid fire spread” after a relatively slow day of growth, according to fire officials.
The fires varied in size but have already forced several evacuations and pre-evacuation notices, closed a national park, and the Deer Creek Fire near the Utah state line has already destroyed at least five buildings.
The 8,140-acre Turner Gulch Fire is currently the largest burning in Colorado, but the nearly 15,000-acre Deer Creek Fire in Utah crossed the state border Monday. Officials anticipate more dangerous fire activity ahead.