One serious conflagration, an automobile accident with injuries, and three small brush fires added to area law-enforcement and rescue-crew activity Friday afternoon.

In addition to the Bircher Fire near Mesa Verde National Park, a new fire took off Friday afternoon on U.S. Highway 160 approximately 8 miles south of Cortez, near Woody’s Food Store.

The fire, referred to in incident reports as "Woody’s Fire," followed by a car accident and a brush fire near Mike Wash Road in Towaoc, kept officials hopping until late afternoon. The Woody’s Fire resulted in temporary road closures from County Road G to Road 21.

The blaze was reported at 12:40 p.m. It exploded northeast across the dry sage, and is estimated to have claimed 15 to 20 acres. There were also reports of a utility pole going up in flames in the vicinity.

Crews from all over Montezuma County and the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation responded with tankers and brush trucks. The Forest Service sent a 20-person hand crew to aid local agencies in containing the fire, which was under control by 3:30 p.m. Firefighters remained on hand securing the scene — allowed them to mount a quick response to a 1-acre brush fire reported in Towaoc at 4:01 p.m.

According to Towaoc law officers, that fire was contained 20 minutes later.

The cause of the Woody’s Fire is still under investigation. Jay Balfour, incident commander, said he suspects that a lighted cigarette was the culprit. Balfour also stated that flames jumped 6 to 10 feet. Fifteen-to-20-mph winds propelled it from 1 acre to 2 acres in about 30 seconds, Balfour said.

"It kept doubling in minutes after that," he added.

No evacuations were ordered, although an elderly woman and small child were escorted from their home after reporting respiratory difficulty.

Other area residents, however, were able to breathe a sigh of relief upon checking on their properties. Rod Gerken, whose home is about a mile from where the fire spread, reported that the structure had not been threatened.

Apart from scorching several acres, the fire has also been blamed for an injury accident on the highway. No details were available at press time, although according to a spokesperson at the Montrose State Patrol Office, the smoke from the fire was thought to have impaired visibility to such an extent that the driver of one vehicle was unable to see the car stopped in front of it.

Yet another two fires were reported at approximately 6 p.m. Friday. Both occurred on County Road G — one eight miles west of Highway 666 and another 10 miles west.

Both were headed east and southeast into dry piñon-juniper brush.

Twenty ground-crew members were requested from the Bircher Fire and 20 from Towaoc responded, according to dispatch.