Two large fires on the Western Slope, west of Meeker, Colorado, are burning nearly 60,000 acres and are creating unsafe air quality in Longmont and neighboring counties. BoulderCAST, a team of meteorologists who forecast Boulder and Denver weather, said on August 6 that the air quality indices were 150+ in Longmont, which is considered unsafe for everyone.
Weld County issued an Air Quality Health Advisory on August 6 that will continue throughout the day on August 7. The advisory states that communities throughout the Front Range may experience periods of moderate to heavy smoke. People are encouraged to limit outdoor activity, especially those with heart disease, those with respiratory illnesses, very young children, and older adults. The advisory says the air is unhealthy when smoke reduces visibility to fewer than five miles.
People are encouraged to keep windows and vents closed when in a vehicle. Instead, set the fans to recirculate mode. A portable air cleaner can be used to filter out smoke particles in the home.
Governor Jared Polis issued a disaster declaration over the weekend for the Elk Fire, which is burning approximately 14,500 acres. On August 5, he broadened the declaration to include the Lee Fire, which is currently burning 45,000 acres. On the evening of August 6, Governor Polis mobilized the Colorado National Guard to aid in fire fighting efforts for the Elk and Lee fires. Both fires have zero-percent containment as of the morning of August 7.
Larimer, Douglas, Denver, Jefferson, Adams, and Arapahoe counties have all issued air quality alerts, which can be tracked on the Colorado State Air Quality page.
A red flag warning is in effect in western Boulder County on August 7. Meanwhile, the Meeker area is expected to have red flag weather through Saturday, with hot temperatures, low humidities (11 percent), and 18 mile-per-hour winds with gusts up to 35 miles per hour. The fires are expected to grow in size under these conditions.
