Alexander wildfire west of Loveland

 The Alexander wildfire is located just to west of Loveland and to the north of state highway 34.  This fire is already producing enormous amounts of smoke, so we have issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for southeastern parts of Larimer County.  Fortunately the bulk of the smoke should remain up in the atmosphere and not create any extended air quality problems through Monday evening, though we could certainly see some quick hits of surface smoke from the plume in Loveland, Timnath, Windsor and southern parts of the Ft. Collins area.  The smoke may get more troublesome and create bigger health impacts later tonight when the smoke begins to "lay down" and seek it's lowest point.  So we should be prepared for the potential for heavy smoke overnight tonight and into early tomorrow morning along State Highway 34 below the fire and eastward into the Loveland area.  We will continue to monitor this wildfire and provide updates as necessary, but if you do reside in the Loveland area you will likely want to keep your windows closed tonight and visit our wildfire smoke and health webpage for additional resources to protect your health.

Image of the Alexander Fire courtesy of the Arapaho Roosevelt National Forest