In case you haven’t heard, a new fire has sparked at a state wildlife area in southern Colorado, closing the recreation spot as a result.

Starting on April 12, the Schwachheim Fire is burning near Trinidad at Lake Dorothey State Wildlife Area. This state wildlife area is located about 14 miles southeast of Trinidad, at the Colorado-New Mexico state line. Per an update from the Hoehne Fire Protection District, the fire was burning on the Colorado side of this wildlife area at last report.

While the Monday night report from Hoehne Fire Protection District pinned the fire at 450 acres with no containment, a Tuesday morning update indicated that the fire had grown to 644 acres, still with no containment.

The fire is reportedly burning through grass and brush in an old burn scar found in rugged and steep drainages located west of the Lake Dorothey Reservoir. Critical fire weather is present in the area and it’s expected to continue with winds expected to gust to 35 miles per hour. It’s quite dry, too, with humidity levels at just 10 percent. Thankfully, temperatures aren’t extremely hot – in the 60s and to mid-70s.

Dorothey State Wildlife Area has been closed due to the firefighting response, with Colorado Governor Jared Polis verbally declaring a disaster emergency related to the blaze. This declaration “activates the State Emergency Operations Plan and directs the Department of Public Safety and its Divisions of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) and Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) to take all necessary and appropriate actions to assist with response, recovery, and mitigation efforts.”

At last report, approximately 100 personnel were working the blaze.

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