Amid extreme fire risk on the Western Slope, a “fast growing” wildfire has sparked.

According to the Montrose County Office of Emergency Management, smoke is visible in the West End area of their county and it’s coming from a blaze that’s burning in the Carpenter Flats area, north of Paradox. Per the most recent report at time of publishing, the blaze was spreading fast amid dangerous conditions.

Various federal and regional agencies are in route. At this time, Montrose County and San Miguel County officials are asking the public not to call dispatch lines related to smoke coming from the blaze. Few details have been released related to the fire, as the first announcement of the situation was published at about 3:49 p.m. – just 49 minutes after the Montrose County Office of Emergency Management made a fire safety post on their Facebook Page.

Earlier today, the agency notified the public that a ‘Red Flag Warning’ related to dangerous fire conditions would be active from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, later updating that message to include Wednesday, as well. Wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour may occur, amid low relative humidity and dry fuels.

“These conditions create an elevated risk for rapid wildfire growth and spread,” said the agency.

Additional updates may be posted here.

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