Firefighters are monitoring a wildfire that started this week deep in the Weminuche Wilderness in an area blanketed in beetle-kill trees, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Forest Service spokeswoman Esther Godson said the fire was reported late Tuesday. Crews went out to monitor the fire Wednesday.
An initial assessment found the fire is in the northeast corner of the Weminuche Wilderness, Colorado’s largest designated wilderness area, south of Mount Nebo, a 13,205-foot peak southeast of Silverton near the Continental Divide Trail.
As of Thursday, the fire had burned 38 acres at about 11,700 feet in elevation. Crews planned to monitor the fire Thursday and develop a plan for suppression, Godson said.
Because the area is so remote, the only access is by helicopter, she said. The public is asked to avoid the area. Smoke and haze may be visible in the region.
The cause of the fire was unknown as of Thursday morning, Godson said.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
