Governor declares emergency for national park fire

DENVER (AP) — Gov. John Hickenlooper has declared a disaster emergency due to the Big Meadows Fire in Rocky Mountain National Park.

The order issued Friday offers $15,000 from the Disaster Emergency Fund to help pay for the use of a National Guard helicopter.

The fire started Monday, and over the next two days, extreme fire weather conditions caused the fire to grow in size from less than 10 acres to over 400 acres.

Firefighters are now deployed in steep, rugged terrain with limited vehicle access.