A wildfire broke out Tuesday morning in Eagle County near Gypsum.
When first reported, the fire was about one acre burning in the Red Hill area, according to the Eagle Valley Wildland Fire Protection Service. Cottonwood Pass Road is closed from both Gypsum and El Jebel as a safety precaution.
A plume of dark smoke is visible from Gypsum. Additional smoke and haze in the area has been carried to Colorado from fires in Arizona and New Mexico, according to firefighters. The small fire is torching and air support to fight the fire has been ordered.
A red-flag warning for fire danger has been posted by the National Weather Service for the Western Slope and mountain areas below 7,500-feet elevation until 9 p.m. Tuesday. Winds in the warning area could gust up to 40 mph and the relative humidity in the area is dry — 6% to 13%.