A wildfire north of Hayden spread to 50 acres on Friday afternoon amid high winds and dry conditions.

The fire, called the County Road 80 fire, initially began on Bureau of Land Management land, according to the federal agency. A pre-evacuation notice was issued for residents in the area of Routt County Roads 70 and 80 north of Hayden due to the flames in the area.

BLM, and U.S. Forest Service hand crews responded to the incident along with firefighters from Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue, the West Routt Fire Protection District and deputies from the Routt County Sheriff’s Department.

The response also included aircraft dropping water and fire retardant.

Sustained winds in the area of the fire ranged from 20-23 mph Friday afternoon with gusts reaching up to 39 mph. The area was under a Red Flag Warning through the National Weather Service until 9 p.m. Friday. The warning signaled that critical fire weather conditions were likely, meaning “a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior.”

A pre-evacuation notice means residents should be prepared to leave in case an evacuation notice is issued. Click here for a wildfire evacuation checklist from the city of Steamboat Springs.

Sign up for Routt County Alerts here.

The Steamboat Pilot & Today has reached out to emergency officials for more information.

This story is from Steamboat Pilot & Today.