Alexander Mountain fire grows as wildfire danger accelerates

• The conditions — particularly the low relative humidity — allowed the Alexander Fire west of Loveland to spread to 5,080 acres as of Wednesday morning. It is 0% contained.
• The growth led to additional evacuation orders for the Masonville area as well as Hidden Valley.

What they're saying: "We're trending from a moderate level toward higher fire danger potential right now," Lebeda says. "The rest of this week is continued super hot temperatures and crazy dry air."

Zoom in: The blaze's proximity to major roads and communities prompted officials to request a complex incident management team with more resources.

• An estimated 220 firefighters on the ground, as well as helicopters and planes overhead, battled the blaze Tuesday, incident commander Mike Smith said.
• The upside is a lack of strong winds that would increase the fire's danger.

The big picture: 13 wildfires are burning more than 6,800 acres in Colorado right now, most in the southwestern part of the state.

• The latest is a blaze in Lyons that quickly grew to 450 acres and prompted evacuations.

What we're watching: The long-range forecast suggests a bit of relief next week with cooler and less dry air. But from mid-August into the fall, officials are expecting fire-prone conditions to continue.