DURANGO - A Red Flag warning is in effect for many parts of Colorado Thursday, including the area where the 416 Fire is burning in southwest Colorado.
Conditions are prime for rapid spread throughout the fire area which may lead to dangerous fire growth, the fire management team said in a release Thursday morning.
In addition to the Red Flag warning for Thursday, a Fire Weather Watch has been issued for Friday because of continued hot and dry conditions over the next 24-36 hours.
As of Thursday morning, the 416 Fire had burned through 37,488 acres and was 37 percent contained.
Due to the increased fire activity, especially on the north side of the fire, more smoke will be visible in the surrounding areas and could impact communities along the Highway 550 corridor.
No homes are currently under evacuation orders, but some residences remain under a pre-evacuation notice.
The cause of the fire which started June 1 is under investigation. So far it has cost $24.7 million to fight the fire according to the incident command.