Huge smoke columns visible in San Juan National Forest

Sitting down at Durango Airport - see really big columns of smoke.

Just checked LaPlata Emergency - they advise it's from the West Fork Fire.

Fire looks really big from the South.

Most of it is in the Wilderness area.

http://laplatacountyoem.blogspot.com/20 ... um=twitter

http://www.inciweb.org/incident/article/3436/18693/

I think there are two fires down there. I had an eye witness tell me the smoke is bad.

reports say it's mostly a fire in a bowl-like formation.

Is that a good thing?

West Fork Fire Complex Update -- June 19, 2013, 6:30 PM

When the Red Flag conditions developed this afternoon, both fires in the West Fork Complex became very active. The West Fork fire demonstrated extreme fire behavior and moved deeper into the Weminuche Wilderness. As of 6:30, the fire had not crossed the Continental Divide. This fire generated the majority of smoke that was seen today.

The Windy Pass Fire moved north up Treasure Creek and eastward to the west side of Lane Creek. This advance has the fire burning within ¼ mile of the closest infrastructure at Wolf Creek Ski Area. Firefighters are attempting to hold the fire south of the Continental Divide and the ski area. Additional resources for structure protection are being ordered to supplement what is already in place. No structures have been damaged or lost. Highway 160 is still open, though visibiilty may be limtied at times.

Nighttime wind patterns tend to pull smoke into the valleys; if this occurs, the smoke is likely to be heavier in the San Luis Valley tonight and tomorrow morning.

Heavy smoke was making it difficult for aircraft to accurately assess the exact perimeter of the fires.

http://www.acemergency.org/