More than a dozen fires are creating heavy smoke, with more lightning and gusty winds expected for parts of the Western Slope Friday.

Aggressive wind gusts on Thursday afternoon caused the rapid expansion of wildfires across Western Colorado. As of Friday morning, many fires are left blazing and releasing smoke into the atmosphere. Much of that smoke is smothering local communities and diminishing the air quality across the region.

As wildfires burn across Colorado, here's what experts told Denver7's Maggie Bryan about the dangers of wildfire smoke.