A 28 mile stretch of I-70 was shut down for many hours in western Colorado due to a small wildfire burning next to the interstate in steep and rocky terrain.

With temperatures rising and dry conditions present, large areas of the Southwest and Great Basin states are under a "critical fire weather threat," the National Weather Service (NWS) announced on X/Twitter Monday.

It’s another straight week of ninety degree heat and above as western Colorado sees Red Flag Warnings around the region.

Hot, dry and windy weather for most of Southern Colorado, with a few stronger thunderstorms on the eastern Plains.

Specialists surveying Colorado’s forests know this year will be challenging. Snow melted too quickly, strong winds dried out the trees, and the early signs of danger are already settling across the landscape.

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. States from Arizona to Wyoming rely on Rocky Mountain snowfall for their water supply, but the region had record-breaking high temperatures last winter, causing historically low levels ...