El Paso County will see low fire danger Wednesday amid dry, statewide conditions and a fire blazing near the Colorado-New Mexico state line.

In the midst of a week of high fire danger along the southeastern corner of Colorado, Wednesday will see calm conditions, lacking one component of fire weather: consistently strong winds, according to the National Weather Service in Pueblo.

Wednesday’s calmness comes after Tuesday saw wind speeds reach 35 to 45 mph with humidity as low as 10%, boosting the Schwachheim fire near Trinidad to 1,003 acres with 0% containment, The Gazette previously reported.

A three-person wildfire crew from the Colorado Springs Fire Department was deployed Wednesday morning to assist in containing the naturally caused fire. Gov. Jared Polis issued a disaster declaration as it rapidly expanded on Monday.

Wednesday may be the calm before the storm, as up to 40 mph winds are to return Thursday, accompanied by humidity as low as 7%, according to the Weather Service.

From Thursday morning to Thursday evening, a fire weather watch will be in place in 16 southern Colorado counties, including in El Paso and Teller counties, in anticipation of critical fire weather conditions.

Eight counties were under a red flag warning on Tuesday, including parts of El Paso County, as officials took steps to address the risk across the region.

NWS Pueblo has issued more red flag warnings year-to-date than any year on record, with 40, according to the agency’s data. The office issued 23 warnings through April 14 last year.

Tuesday’s fire update

Over 100 personnel, at least two large air tankers and two helicopters are working the Schwachheim fire, according to Las Animas County officials and the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). More resources have been requested.

Colorado’s Type 3 Incident Management Team has taken control of the Schwachheim fire, said Tracy LeClair, a spokesperson for the Wildland Fire Management Section of the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control.

No infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, LeClair said. The team’s top priority is to make sure the wildfire doesn’t spread to a watershed that Raton, N.M., uses.

A small campground and possible trail networks around the lake are the only places that have sustained damage so far, LeClair said.

Stage 2 fire restrictions are in effect for Custer, El Paso, Fremont and Las Animas counties, while Costilla and Huerfano have implemented stage 1 restrictions.

Officials have issued a temporary flight restriction in the airspace above the fire, which prohibits unauthorized aircraft, including drones.

The Lake Dorothy State Wildlife Area is closed until further notice, Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Dean Miller said. The agency will directly contact turkey hunting license holders affected by its closure.

Information for Las Animas County residents to sign up for emergency alerts can be found on the city of Trinidad’s website. Residents of El Paso and Teller counties can sign up for emergency notifications through Peak Alerts on the counties’ joint 911 authority website.