South Rim Fire in western Colorado nearly doubles in size overnight to almost 3,000 acres with no containment - CBS Colorado
/ CBS Colorado
Multiple fires burning across western Colorado all attributed to lightning
The South Rim Fire in western Colorado grew from 1,600 acres to almost 3,000 acres Saturday morning after its growth and lack of containment forced the closure of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.
Dozens of firefighters and other first responders were responding to the fire, which was sparked by lightning on Thursday, officials say. Colorado State Highway 347 is closed at the junction of U.S. Highway 50, and the Bostwick Park community in Montrose is under an evacuation notice.
The fire is 0% contained as of Saturday morning and some park equipment and outbuildings have been damaged by the fire, according to the National Park Service.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park saw over 335,000 visitors last year, according to NPS data, much fewer than Rocky Mountain National Park's 4 million, but still a popular destination for hiking, river rafting, and rock climbing. The park is about 250 miles southwest of Denver.
Weather conditions, including high heat, low moisture, and high winds, aren't helping with efforts to fight the fire.
You can see a list of active wildfires in the U.S. here.
Austen Erblat is a digital producer and assignment editor at CBS News Colorado and is Covering Colorado First. Originally from South Florida, he's been working as a journalist in Denver since 2022.
