Gov. Jared Polis declared an emergency Monday afternoon for a wildfire burning southeast of Trinidad, near the Colorado-New Mexico border.
The Schwachheim fire, estimated at about 300 areas, is burning within the Lake Dorothey State Wildlife Area, the governor’s office said Monday evening. Colorado Parks and Wildlife shut down the area until further notice as fire crews respond to the fire.
Polis’ declaration activates the state emergency operations plan, allowing the state to take “all necessary and appropriate actions” to assist with controlling and extinguishing the fire. That response includes sending hand crews, engines, state aircraft and the state division’s type 3 incident management team.
The 4,500-acre wildlife area, leased through an agreement between the city of Raton, New Mexico and Colorado Parks and Wildlife, offers hunting and fishing opportunities, as well as trails for hikers. The property includes a 10-acre lake and roughly three miles of stream.
All of Las Animas County, where the fire is burning, is facing levels of moderate to severe drought conditions. The latest map from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows that about 14% of southern Colorado county is facing what the federal database classifies as “extreme drought conditions.”
The area is under a red flag warning until Tuesday evening for gusty winds and low relative humidity. Southwest winds between 20 and 30 mph are forecast, with gusts up to 45 mph, and relative humidity as low as 9%, according to the National Weather Service.
“Elevated fire danger is expected. Fires will catch and spread rapidly and erratically,” forecasters in Pueblo wrote in a Monday afternoon warning.
The county is currently under Stage 2 fire restrictions, which prohibit building campfires in developed campgrounds or recreational areas, and recreational shooting in ways that can create sparks or ignite vegetation.
Outdoor welding or similar activity is also barred unless there is an adequate water supply, of at least 200 gallons, with a pump and within 200 feet of a hose.
The fire sparked Sunday, according to the Hoehne Fire Protection District, an agency responding to the fire. The cause of fire is unknown.