A Colorado wildfire has now doubled in size, which has led to extended time away from home for thousands of area residents who’d hoped the wildfire would be contained by now.

It’s being called the 416 fire and its located just about 10 miles to the north of the city of Durango. As it stands, the 416 fire is only at 10% containment and has burned up roughly 26 total acres. According to firefighters in Colorado, some of the increase in fire is due to firefighters setting what’s known as backfires, but much of it is just the wildfire’s natural evolution and growth taking place and it finds more and riper fuel sources in the drought-stricken region.

Today, the 416 wildfire may likely get worse as winds are expected to increase and provide even further fuel for it. Additionally, even local extended forecasts don’t show much in the way of rain.

In total, 2,000 homes have been evacuated, according to the Weather.com.

The good news is, there haven’t been any reports of structural damage.

What caused the 416 fire remains unknown, but an investigation is underway to determine if it was started naturally or by way of nefarious arson, or even by accident. Man and lightning are the most common causes of wildfires. California and New Mexico are also experiencing wildfires as the same drought conditions are plaguing those regions as well.

If you are in a region prone to wildfires, it’s important that you always have a bug out bag on the ready. It is also important to follow the instructions of local officials. If you are told to evacuate, grab your bug out bag and leave. Wildfires are not to be taken lightly. Wildfires move at incredible speeds and commonly people die from smoke inhalation due to being trapped while attempting to escape. Every second counts when a wildfire evacuation order is given.

Comments

comments