Four lightning-sparked wildfires that had scorched more than 20,000 acres in southwestern Colorado as of Wednesday continue to churn through tinder-dry terrain, as hundreds of firefighters struggle to wrangle blazes that have closed Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, shut down multiple roads and highways and forced evacuations.

More state firefighting resources are expected to arrive this week to try to corral the fires, which could burn for weeks. Gov. Jared Polis has declared a disaster emergency for Montrose, Delta and Mesa counties.

As of Wednesday morning, no wildfires were burning in Ouray County, although smoke and haze from growing fires to the north and west have lingered here for the past week and prompted multiple air quality health advisories from state health officials. A fresh advisory was issued Wednesday and is in effect until at least this morning (Thursday).

Above-average temperatures, gusty winds and very dry conditions have triggered extreme fire behavior over the last several days. The seasonal summer monsoon may bring some short-lived relief to the region at the end of this week, though any rain is expected to be accompanied by wind and lightning, which could ignite new fires. The National Weather Service said “near critical fire weather conditions” will return early next week.

Ouray County Emergency Manager Glenn Boyd said Tuesday the southern end of Ouray County is in better shape than the north end in terms of moisture. He said that moisture helped keep a 3-acre fire that broke out on June 22 on Red Mountain Pass from spreading.

On the other hand, he said, “the north end of the county is a little dangerous. It is dry.”

With more than 1,000 firefighters committed to the four fires in southwestern Colorado and a fifth fire in eastern Utah that has crossed over into Colorado, Boyd is worried about how much help will be available if a fire breaks out in Ouray County.

“The bigger concern I have is the lack of resources,” he said.

South Rim Fire east of Montrose

More than 400 firefighters are battling the fire burning in and around Black Canyon of the Gunnison, which stood at an estimated 4,160 acres and 0% containment as of Wednesday morning.

Crews have used drones to control the fire’s direction and growth across steep terrain in an effort to protect water and power supplies at the south end of the fire. A series of dams in the park regulate the flow of the Gunnison River for water storage and hydroelectric power generation.

Firefighters on Monday night intentionally burned an area along a rock ridge near the southern end of the fire to connect a firebreak to the rim before it drops into the canyon, Tyler Nathe, operations sections chief with Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 3, said in a Tuesday morning video briefing.

Officials closed the western side of Blue Mesa Reservoir on Monday to allow two Super Scooper planes to pull water out of the reservoir and dump it across the northwestern side of the fire.

The Bostwick Park neighborhood southwest of the park remains under evacuation, as do homes on M73, N73, N74 and O74 roads.

The fire, started by a dry lightning storm that blew over the park early on the morning of July 10, damaged some outbuildings and equipment in the park. Firefighters saved the South Rim Visitor Center by removing dried vegetation around the building and placing a protective layer of material on the outside.

Turner Gulch and Wright Draw fires near Gateway The Turner Gulch Fire is now the largest fire burning in Colorado, exploding from 1,470 acres on Monday to nearly 14,000 acres Wednesday morning. It’s burning about eight miles northeast of Gateway in Mesa County, with 0% containment.

Authorities have evacuated a 14-mile stretch of Colorado Highway 141. The Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service on Tuesday temporarily closed several areas of public land in Unaweep Canyon.

The nearby Wright Draw fire, on the other side of the canyon, grew from 249 acres Monday to 437 acres Tuesday night.

Information posted on the fire tracking website Inciweb indicated both fires are difficult to access.

“Extreme drought conditions, steep terrain, and hot and dry weather will continue to challenge firefighters on the Turner Gulch and Wright Draw fires,” the post said.

Sowbelly Fire west of Delta

The wildfire burning in the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Area in Montrose, Delta and Mesa counties stood at 2,274 acres as of Wednesday and was 13% contained.

Fire officials said suppression has been challenging because the terrain and location makes it difficult to access.

Deer Creek Fire near Paradox

A fifth fire that ignited in eastern Utah crossed over into Colorado just north of Highway 90 on Monday, and strong winds Tuesday night pushed the fire further into Colorado. The Deer Creek Fire was burning on nearly 15,000 acres and was 7% contained as of Wednesday morning, according to fire officials.

The fire has damaged 11 private structures, one Forest Service structure and one communications site, according to Utah Fire Info, a task force made up of federal and state agencies.

Will monsoon bring needed rain — or more fuel for fires?

Southwestern Colorado has been stuck in a pattern of dry thunderstorms that have offered little to no rain and plenty of lightning and wind. Authorities suspect lightning early on the morning of July 10 sparked all four fires in Colorado and the fire in Utah.

Gillian Felton, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction, said the next round of monsoonal moisture could start moving into southwestern Colorado tonight (Thursday) and stick around through the weekend, primarily favoring the San Juan Mountains. She noted, though, forecasters aren’t predicting the rainfall to be as significant as the rain that dampened the region around the Fourth of July. Dry conditions should return early next week.

“It looks like this might not linger for very long,” she said.

Stage 1 fire restrictions remain in place across all local, state and federal land in Ouray County and much of the region, prohibiting personal fireworks, opening burning and campfires outside of permanent fire pits, among other restrictions.