Five active wildfires — the Lee, Elk, Oak, Stoner Mesa and Crosho fires — have charred more than 142,000 acres, or 222 square miles, on the Western Slope in recent days.

As wildfires burn across the Western Slope, people are seeing the effects hundreds of miles away with hazy skies, the smell of smoke and even a weather phenomenon that causes more vibrant sunsets.

The Lee Fire near Meeker, now the fifth largest fire in Colorado's history, is just one four major fires in western Colorado threatening homes and other structures as firefighters struggle to get containment.