Ouray County and southwestern Colorado are under a red flag warning until 10 p.m. today, as forecasters this morning warned gusty winds and low humidity will create dangerous fire weather conditions.

“Several large wildfires developed across the region yesterday and exhibited extreme wildfire behavior,” the National Weather Service in Grand Junction wrote in an urgent advisory issued at 8:25 a.m. “Atmospheric conditions are on track to be similar today as yesterday, and thus rapid wildfire spread will again be possible. The most concerning conditions are generally located near current wildfires, but any new wildfire development will also be capable of extreme behavior.”

Forecasters predicted winds will be out of the southwest at 20 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 50 mph.

“Extreme fire danger is expected,” the Weather Service said. “Fires will spread uncontrollably and could be very destructive.”

This information came in an email from the agency, as the Weather Service’s website is not working currently.

Ouray County has declared a state of emergency in the wake of the Gold Mountain Fire, which was reported Saturday afternoon north of Ouray and prompted evacuations of multiple surrounding neighborhoods. U.S. Highway 550 remains closed from the Timber Ridge gas station to the Whispering Pines bridge. This is the area including Rotary Park, where the fire crossed a ridge and burned down the mountain last night.

The fire, estimated to be 50 to 60 acres in size Saturday night, has grown to 570 acres as of this morning, according to county officials.

The Ouray Hot Springs Pool and the Ouray Via Ferrata are closed today. Trailheads on city-owned property leading to the Ouray Perimeter Trail are closed, according to Brooke Warren, a spokeswoman for the city. The Perimeter Trail itself remains open.

A communications tower in the area has been damaged, resulting in little or no cellphone service for some Ouray residents, city officials announced this morning. A temporary backup tower has been ordered and is on its way.

There is a briefing scheduled for 1 p.m. today and the fire operations are expected to transfer to an interagency federal command soon.

Local officials said Saturday the fire was sparked by a power line that fell onto a tree. But in a news release issued early this morning, Ouray County officials said the cause hadn’t been determined, and that a U.S. Forest Service fire investigator was en route to the area.

San Miguel Power Association shut off power to several neighborhoods in the area of the fire Saturday night. As of 11 a.m. Sunday, roughly 55 customers were still without power, according to SMPA spokesman Alex Shelley.

Authorities have ordered multiple resources to assist with fighting the fire, including federal firefighters, air tankers and helicopters. Officials had hoped to use a helicopter to drop water on the fire Saturday, but high winds grounded it. Extremely steep and rugged terrain has also made firefighting operations challenging.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has also declared a state of emergency and authorized the Colorado National Guard to assist with a fire burning in western Colorado, which resulted in fatalities.

Three firefighters were killed and two were injured yesterday near Grand Junction when they were trapped by the Snyder Mesa Fire, the result of three fires that merged and have burned more than 30,000 acres in eastern Utah and into Mesa County

Some questions we’ve received and wanted to help answer (this will be added to as we receive more questions):

Is the fire burning in Ouray?

No. The fire is currently burning northeast of the city of Ouray. The city is not currently under any evacuation orders and the winds have pushed the fire mostly in a northeasterly direction.

Is there an evacuation shelter?

Yes, it’s at the Ridgway Secondary School, 1200 Green St.

How do I get more information about the fire?

A hotline has been established at 970-626-5484. Residents are also encouraged to sign up to receive alerts. Text “ourayalerts” to 65513.

I have donations or something to offer that could help. Who should I call?

Call the Gold Mountain Fire hotline at 970-626-5484. There are also two more hotline numbers that have been added: 970-633-7015 and 970-633-7016.

UPDATE AT 9:45 A.M. Monday: County officials thanked people for donations and requested any additional donations be made through filling out an online form or contacting the hotline. “At this time, incident personnel have adequate food and supplies, and we are asking the public to temporarily stop bringing food donations to fire crews and staging areas. Additional donations cannot be accepted at this time,” the county statement said. Restaurants wanting to donate meals can call the hotline.

Why isn’t the fire being attacked from the air?

Authorities have ordered multiple aerial resources but weren’t able to use them Saturday due to high winds throughout the day. More high winds are expected today. A helicopter is on the ground in Montrose, ready to assist, and a second helicopter in Gunnison is also expected to help out. It’s unclear when these aerial firefighting resources will be able to access the fire.

UPDATE AT 11 A.M. Sunday: Some aerial resources have been able to access the fire, and we know of at least one slurry drop that a fixed-wing aircraft was able to apply. We also have confirmation that a helicopter has been spotted at Ridgway Reservoir, collecting water to drop on the fire.

Should I be concerned about air quality?

Anyone with compromised health is advised to stay indoors at this time and avoid breathing in the smoky air, which is coming from not only the Gold Mountain Fire but also other fires in Western Colorado and Utah. You can check the air quality levels at this website.

There are free N95 masks available at three locations: the Ouray EMS Barn at 320 Sixth Ave. in Ouray, the Ridgway EMS Barn at 251 North Railroad St. in Ridgway and the Ouray County Public Health office at 177 Sherman St., Unit 103 in Ridgway.

Is County Road 17 open?

At this time (1:50 p.m. Sunday) it is open to local traffic only as a detour for the closure of U.S. Highway 550 near Rotary Park. This is a narrow, dirt road that is not used to heavy traffic. If you can avoid traveling into Ouray from the north until the highway reopens, it is advised.