Firefighters battling wildfires in southwestern Colorado have made progress in their efforts to contain the blazes.

“I’ve got some pretty good news for us to share with you today,” said Rob Powell, the operations section chief for Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team 1, in a virtual briefing Tuesday on the Turner Gulch and Wright Draw fires.

The Turner Gulch Fire, currently the largest wildfire in Colorado, had burned more than 16,800 acres — an area about two-thirds the size of Disney World — as of Wednesday morning, according to InciWeb.wildfire.gov. 

But Powell said that the wildfire, which experienced extreme fire behavior and sometimes swelled thousands of acres a day last week, has experienced minimal growth over the past few days. It is now 34% contained.

The Wright Fire, burning nearby on about 466 acres, was about 77% contained as of Wednesday, according to InciWeb.

Powell said two hot shot crews — teams of elite wildland firefighters that respond to large, high priority incidents across the country — had arrived Monday to assist with the Turner Gulch and Wright Draw fires. Due to the diminished fire activity, he said the wildfire operation is actively demobilizing and sending resources “either to higher priority fires or or sending them home.”

Firefighters also continued to make progress Tuesday containing the Sowbelly Fire burning in the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area. The wildfire in Delta and Mesa counties has experienced little growth since last week and remains at 2,274 acres, according to InciWeb. It is now 90% contained.

Challenged by hot, dry weather and an “above average amount of dead fuels,” firefighters continue to battle the South Rim Fire burning on 4,220 acres in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, according to InciWeb. Firefighters have the fire perimeter about 31% contained.

The Turner Gulch, Wright Draw, Sowbelly and South Rim wildfires were all caused by lightning on or around Thursday, July 10, according to InciWeb.