Fort Collins: Red flag, ozone warnings; wildfires burning

That wildfire smoke you smell in the air is indicative of what we are looking at weather-wise today.

Here is what you need to know:

• Fort Collins, along with a large swath of the Front Range and western Colorado, is under a red flag warning from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. today. That means any outdoor burning is strongly discouraged because of strong winds, low humidity and high temperature.
• Canyon Lakes Ranger District of the Roosevelt National Forest is under a Stage 1 fire restriction. This means open fires such as campfires, barbecues etc outside of pits and grills is prohibited. Smoking is not permitted outside a building.

• Larimer County is poised to enact a fire ban at its Tuesday administrative matters meeting. According to public emails, Commissioner Steve Johnson suggested the ban Sunday, with the other two commissioners quickly agreeing.

• The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has issued an Ozone Action Day Alert until 4 p.m. today for Fort Collins and much of the Front Range. Smoke from wildfires will make breathing difficult for those with sensitive respiratory conditions.
• There are five major wildfires burning in Colorado: Cold Springs, Beaver Creek, Hogback, Hayden Creek and Lodgepole.    

Cold Springs Fire

(As of Monday morning)

• This is the closest fire to Fort Collins. It is burning west of Boulder near Nederland.
• 536 acres burned
• 0 percent contained
• 1,991 people evacuated
• 3 homes destroyed, 3 outbuildings destroyed
• 150 firefighters
• 12 aerial crews
• Caused by two campers from Alabama who failed in extinguishing their campfire

Fort Collins forecast

• Today: Sunny, with a high near 87 and west wind increasing from 7 to 12 mph becoming west 16 to 21 mph in the afternoon and gusting to around 30 mph.
• Relative humidity 16 percent
• Rain chances this week: Slight chance Thursday night into Friday morning
• Fort Collins nearly 2.5 inches below normal for precipitation