Smoke from large fires in several western states is settling in the Roaring Fork Valley.
There are currently 81 wildfires covering a million and a half acres in the western U.S., including a large fire in Northern Colorado, near the Wyoming border. The Big Red Fire was ignited by lightning in August and is growing rapidly.
There are air quality health advisories in much of northern Colorado, including Steamboat Springs, and in the Denver area. Air quality monitoring in the Aspen area showed ‘moderate’ pollution Tuesday. The Colorado Department of Public Health said smoke reaches unhealthy levels when visibility is less than 5 miles.
Local officials warn that fire danger is increasing with hot, dry, windy weather.