A wildfire ignited by a lightning strike in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park has expanded to almost 3,000 acres and is still causing evacuations of nearby residences, according to fire officials on Saturday morning.
The South Rim fire has spread across 2,892 acres with no containment and led to the evacuation of the Botswick Park area southwest of the national park late Friday night.
Botswick Park and residences along Colorado 347, including K37 Road, are still under mandatory evacuation orders.
Efforts are focused on securing the fire perimeter and preventing further spread into the canyon, said operations section chief Eric Zanotto in a Saturday morning update.
The Sowbelly fire has burned 2,230 acres in Delta and Mesa counties with no containment, as confirmed by federal officials on Saturday morning.
Although the fire did not significantly increase in size overnight, firefighters are facing challenges in accessing the fire due to the rugged terrain and its location in the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness area.
Officials have expressed concern about the hot, dry weather conditions that could impact both fires.
This is a developing story and updates may follow.
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