The Pine Gulch Fire burning around 18 miles north of Grand Junction is now the second biggest wildfire in Colorado's history.

Pine Gulch Fire via Facebook
Pine Gulch Fire via Facebook
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As of yesterday, the fire had burned 87,778 acres but according to the Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team, a thunderstorm cell moved over the fire causing winds of up to 40 miles per hour growing the fire by roughly 38,000 acres overnight, bringing the current size of the fire to 125,108 acres.

In addition, pre-evacuation orders were given to residents of the areas of County Road 205, Kimball Mountain Road, and County Road 256 between Kimball Mountain Road and Browns Point.

Prior to last night, the largest wildfire in Colorado's history was the Spring Creek fire of 2018 which burned 108,045 acres, but because of last night's events, the Pine Gulch fire has now surpassed Spring Creek.

Currently, the largest fire in Colorado's history is the Hayman Fire, which burned 137,760 acres back in 2002 southwest of Denver and southeast of Colorado Springs. However, unlike the Hayman Fire, the Pine Gulch Fire was not started by a person, but rather lightning, back on July 31st.

The Pine Gulch Fire is currently one of four major wildfires burning in Colorado currently, along with the Grizzly Creek Fire near Glenwood Springs, the Cameron Peak Fire in Northeastern Colorado, and the Williams Fort Fire in Eastern Colorado.

However, because of its sheer magnitude and only 7% containment, the Pine Gulch Fire is a huge concern for Western Colorado residents, many of whom woke up to a layer of ash on their sidewalks and vehicles this morning.

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