Colorado Smoke Being Called “Toxic And Unprecedented”

Despite the rain, wildfire smoke a big problem for Grand Valley residents.

There are currently 12 wildfires burning in Colorado. Current prevailing winds are pushing the smoke from these regional fires in the Grand Valleys direction. The Mesa County Public Health has extended the wildfire smoke advisory until further notice. Dr. Carl White, a pediatric pulmonologist at Children's Hospital Colorado in Denver advises, "...you should take basic precautions like avoiding going outdoors, avoiding vigorous exercise, closing windows and avoiding outdoor activities. Health problems can range from irritated eyes and cough to acute or chronic conditions like heart attacks, strokes or even cancer. Children are particularly susceptible to negative effects of the smoke."

Here's the latest update on Colorado's 12 wildfires:

The Red Canyon Fire,  north of Fruita has burned 5,200 Acres and at 0% containment. Bull Draw Fire, northeast of Uravan, 3,600 Acres durned and 0% containment. West Guard Fire, northwest of Dolores has scorched 1,405 Acres and at 80% containment. Plateau Fire, also north of Dolores, 3,415 Acres consumed and only at 5% containment. The Buttermilk Fire centered just northeast of Montrose has burned 746 Acres and 15% containment. Cache Creek Fire,  burning just southwest of Rifle, has scorched 1,342 Acres and 0% contained. Indian Valley Fire, this fire is north of River City, has burned 6,310 Acres and nearly extinguished at 95% containment. Cabin Lake Fire is south of Buford and has burned 958 Acres, it's currently at 0% containment. Silver Creek Fire, the southern part of Medicine Bow in the Routt National Forests has scorched 1,081 Acres and also at 0% containment. The Lake Christine Fire near Basalt is one of the largest burning 12,588 Acres is at 90% containment. Sugarloaf Fire, in the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, has consumed 1,280 Acres and at 35% containment. Finally, there's the Spring Fire, near La Veta has burned a whopping 108,045 Acres and at 91% containment.

You can track the latest wildfire information on the InciWeb website. They are all-risk incident website management system provided by the US Forest Service.

Credit: Out There Colorado