By Electa Draper
The Denver Post
Copyright 2006 The Denver Post
All Rights Reserved
DURANGO, Colo. — Firefighters were working several lightning-sparked fires in southwestern Colorado on Tuesday.
The Long fire at Mesa Verde National Park and the newer Weaver fire at nearby Ute Mountain Tribal Park were each about 20 acres in size as of Tuesday afternoon, fire information office Pamella Wilson said.
Most visitor services remained open at Mesa Verde, but Wetherill Mesa was closed and traffic there redirected to Chapin Mesa cliff dwellings such as Cliff Palace and Balcony House.
More than 20 fires, most in Montezuma County, popped up Monday afternoon after weekend thunderstorms. Most ranged in size from one tree to half an acre. The fires at the two parks were the largest. The Weaver fire, first spotted Tuesday, produced a huge plume of black smoke visible from Durango to Cortez.
Isolated thunderstorms Tuesday and the possibility of gusty winds worried fire managers, but light rain was helping by late afternoon, Wilson said.