DENVER — High temperatures, low humidity, and shifting winds will again pose a challenge for crews battling more than dozen wildfires across Colorado's Western Slope Thursday.
A red flag warning is in effect for all the western Colorado from noon to 8 p.m., according to the National Weather Service in Boulder. Dry thunderstorms are possible for the northern mountains, Front Range foothills, and high mountain valleys, forecasters said.
The extreme fire behavior has prompted Gov. Polis to sign an executive order declaring a disaster emergency for the whole state, which will bolster the state's response to these and any new potential wildfires.
On Wednesday, extreme fire behavior pushed the Lee Fire to the south near the Garfield County line, and the Crosho Fire east into Routt County, prompting new mandatory evacuations.
Gov. Polis' office on Thursday announced the governor had signed an executive order declaring a disaster emergency for the whole state in order to bolster his office's response to these and any new potential wildfires.
At least 15 fires have burned more than 209,000 acres across Delta, Dolores, Garfield, Grand, Mesa, Moffat, Montrose, and Rio Blanco counties, as well as in parts of eastern Utah, with the state's fifth-largest fire in history burning near Meeker.
As a result, Governor Jared Polis has mobilized the Colorado National Guard to support response efforts for Rio Blanco County, and has verbally declared a disaster declaration for fires elsewhere in the Western Slope. FEMA has also authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs.
The fires are being fueled by extreme drought conditions in the Western Slope, with a large swath of the western half of the state experiencing moderate and severe drought, according to the latest data from the U.S. Drought Monitor.
- Denver7 has created the map below to give you a better idea of where these fires are located. Click on the red dot to view more information about each one.
We're tracking the latest updates on these fires below.
Crosho Fire
Size: 1,700 acres
Containment: 0%
First reported: Aug. 11 at 3:25 pm.
Cause: Under investigation
Location: Crosho Lake in the Routt National Forest in Rio Blanco County
Evacuations 🏠: South Sprongs Creek to the north, North Hunt Creek to the west, the Allen Basin Reservoir to the south, and Highways 17 and 15 to the east
Pre-evacuations: Residents in the area bordered by County Road 19 to the north, Highway 131 to the east, County Road 13 to the south and the Crosho Lake area to the west are included.
The Crosho Fire is burning immediately adjacent and north of Crosho Lake in the Routt National Forest in Rio Blanco County and parts of Routt County, according to fire officials.
While pre-evacuation areas have been established, they are likely to change, so residents are advised to click here to view the latest evacuations/pre-evacuation map. An evacuation center has been established at South Routt Elementary School, located at 448 Main St. in Yampa.
In a Wednesday update, fire officials said the fire had crossed east into Routt County, which prompted new mandatory evacuations in connection with the fire.
Nearby landowners and ranchers were contacted by fire officials and plans to move livestock if needed were made, they said. Transition to a Type III Incident Management Team will occur Wednesday afternoon.
The following roads are closed, effective immediately, due to the Crosho Fire and response efforts:
- Intersection of Routt County Road 15 and Routt County Road 17
- Intersection of Routt County Road 25 and Routt County Road 132A
- Rio Blanco County Road 8 (Dunckley Pass) at mile marker 38
A portion of the Routt National Forest, the Chapman Reservoir Campground, and dispersed camping in the Crosho Lake area are closed to the public.
Updates posted to:
InciWeb
Rio Blanco County Sheriff's Office
Elk Fire
Size: 14,521 acres
Containment: 75%
First reported: Aug. 2
Cause: ⚡️
Location: 11 miles east of Meeker
Evacuations 🏠: No current evacuations
Pre-evacuations: No pre-evacuations at this time
The lightning-sparked Elk Fire, first reported on Aug. 2, is burning 11 miles west of Meeker in Rio Blanco County.
Two homes and two outbuildings have burned in the Elk Fire, according to officials in Rio Blanco County, who said the fire remained within established control lines with minimal to no growth on Wednesday.
Crews focused Wednesday on reinforcing lines around structures and values at risk along County Roads 8, 40, and 49, and favorable winds supported suppression efforts, keeping the perimeter secure.
Firefighters will focus Thursday on patrol and mop-up by reinforcing containment lines off County Road 8 and in the Beaver Creek area, with work focusing on keeping the fire within existing lines while protecting nearby structures values at risk.
The following road closures are still in effect, according to the Rio Blanco County Sheriff's Office:
- CLOSED HIGHWAYS: Highway 13 South Highway 13 Closure Area: in both directions between Piceance Creek Road (15 miles north of Rifle)
- RESTRICED TO LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY COUNTY ROADS: County Road 13 (residents who live in the area).
- CLOSED COUNTY ROADS: County Road 5, 22, 33, 40, 45, 47, 49, 63, 66, 67, 117,127, 129
The Rio Blanco County Sheriff's Office said a partial closure of the White River National Forest was also in effect due to the fire within the Blanco Ranger District west of and including the Long-Lost Trail system.
Updates posted to:
Elk and Lee Fire Information
Rio Blanco County Sheriff's Office
Lee Fire
Size: 127,107 acres
Containment: 3%
First reported: Aug. 3 at 1 p.m.
Cause: ⚡️
Location: 18 miles southwest of Meeker, Colo.
Evacuations 🏠: County Road 22 (Little Hills) off of County Road 5; at the County Road 76 intersection from County Road 3 to County Road 5; Highway 64 between mile marker 58 and mile marker 67, including those on County Road 127, County Road 129, County Road 66 and Bridgewater Lane; northwest of Rifle, including boundaries of the Garfield County line to the north, Roan Cliffs Road to the east, Long Ridge to the south, and Garfield County roads 401 and 402 to the west
Pre-evacuations: County Road 22 (Little Hills) off of County Road 5, as well as for residents along County Road 33
Three homes and 12 outbuildings have burned so far in the Lee Fire, according to officials in Rio Blanco County, who said firefighters along the Highway 13 corridor made good progress with firefighting operations going as planned.
Firefighters will focus Thursday on making sure existing firelines along Highway 13 do not get crossed. Crews will laso maintain point protection for communities, infrastructure, and other values at risk while direct line construction continues on the east side of the fire and from Highway 13 south to County Road 5. Firefighters will also be holding and improving lines between County Roads 5 and 3.
The following road closures are still in effect for residents in Rio Blanco County:
- CLOSED HIGHWAYS: Highway 13 South Highway 13 Closure Area: in both directions between Piceance Creek Road (15 miles north of Rifle)
- RESTRICED TO LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY COUNTY ROADS: County Road 13 (residents who live in the area).
- CLOSED COUNTY ROADS: County Road 5, 22, 33, 40, 45, 47, 49, 63, 66, 67, 117,127, 129
The Rio Blanco County Sheriff's Office said a partial closure of the White River National Forest was also in effect due to the fire within the Blanco Ranger District west of and including the Long-Lost Trail system.
Updates posted to:
Elk and Lee Fire Information
Rio Blanco County Sheriff's Office
InciWeb
Oak Fire
Size: 75 acres
Contained: 78%
First reported: Aug. 10
Cause: Structure fire
Location: Archuleta County west of Pagosa Springs
Evacuations 🏠: No evacuations at this time
Pre-evacuations: No pre-evacuations at this time
At least one small barn, a pump house, a pergola, a carport, and a camper trailer have sustained significant damage from the Oak Fire burning west of Pagosa Springs, according to fire officials.
No homes were identified as damaged or lost to the fire, according to officials, but Gov. Polis has declared a disaster emergency, which frees up state and federal resources, for this fire. Fire officials said on Aug. 12 that the fire had so far cost $2 million.
Evacuations issued for the blaze were lifted on Aug. 13, along with temporary road closures that were put in place by the Pagosa Ranger District.
Updates posted to:
Archuleta County Sheriff's Office
Peninsula Fire
Size: 17 acres
Containment: 80%
First reported: Aug. 8
Cause: ⚡️
Location: Specie Mesa (M44 Road) South of Highway 145, between Norwood and Placerville, Colo.
Evacuations 🏠: No evacuation orders at this time
Pre-evacuations: Laughing Dog and Peninsula subdivisions
The lightning-sparked Peninsula Fire, first reported July 31, is burning south of Highway 145 between Norwood and Placerville in San Miguel County.
The San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office reported Friday that the Peninsula Fire was 80% contained, with full containment expected within the next 72 hours, depending on weather and fire behavior.
Updates posted to:
San Miguel County Sheriff's Office
West Slope Fire Info
Stoner Mesa Fire
Size: 7,390 acres
Containment: 0%
First reported: July 28
Cause: ⚡️
Location: 20 miles northeast of Dolores
Evacuations 🏠: No current evacuations
Pre-evacuations: No pre-evacuations at this time
The lightning-sparked Stoner Mesa Fire, first reported on July 28, is burning west of Telluride inside the San Juan National Forest in Dolores County.
In a Thursday update, fire officials said crews will continue to prepare the 686 Road down to County Road 38 as a contingency line in the event the fire pushes across existing control features. Along the northwest flank of the fire, near the fire’s edge, work will continue to establish control lines working to the south using handline, dozer line, roads, trails and natural barriers such as rock outcroppings.
Additionally, two structure groups have been established to assess and protect structures along Highway 145 and County Road 38, according to fire officials. These groups will continue assessments and mitigation work as needed to protect structures adjacent to the fire. A contingency line above Rico has been identified and is intended to divert potential fire impact away from the community.
The San Juan National Forest has implemented a fire area closure in the vicinity of Taylor and Stoner Mesas for the safety of firefighters and the public, fire officials added.
Updates posted to:
Stoner Mesa Fire Information
USDA Forest Service Facebook page
InciWeb
Turner Gulch Fire
Size: 31,695 acres
Contained: 53%
First reported: July 10
Cause: ⚡️
Location: 8 miles northeast of Gateway, Colo.
Evacuations 🏠: No evacuation orders at this time
Pre-evacuations: All private lands in the Big Creek and Divide Forks Campground Evacuation Zones, including private inholdings in the Uncompahgre National Forest from Forest Road 406 to 409 (seen as the Cold Springs Evacuation Zone on evacuation maps), as well as all private in-holdings in the Ute Creek Evacuation area, which includes areas in the Uncompahgre National Fores.
The Turner Gulch Fire, burning off Highway 141 northeast of the town of Gateway in Mesa County, has burned more than 31,000 acres.
In a Thursday morning update, fire officials said crews successfully completed a burn out operation yesterday in the Cow Creek area which halted much forward progress of the fire.
Fire crews will continue Thursday to work on this critical portion of the fire by focusing on securing and mopping up hot spots that are located closest to the fire line to ensure that all heat that could compromise the line is completely extinguished.
Niche Road is closed due to unsafe conditions, and Divide Road remains closed for safe and operational access. People who need help with sheltering large animals should contact (970) 778-0161 to be connected with options and resources.
No injuries have been reported, and no structures have been lost.
Updates posted to:
InciWeb
Turner Gulch Fire Info.
Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit Facebook
WILDFIRES THAT HAVE BEEN FULLY CONTAINED
The 107-acre Coulter Creek Fire, which is burning in Carbondale, was fully contained on Aug. 4, just a day after it was first reported by fire officials from the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District. No homes were lost, though one outbuilding was destroyed in the fire. No injuries were reported as a result of the blaze.
Burning in eastern Utah and parts of Montrose County, Colo., the 17,724-acre Deer Creek Fire was fully contained on Aug. 11. On Aug. 8, the Montrose County Sheriff's Office said evacuation orders for Montrose County due do this fire had been lifted.
The Leroux Fire burning 1.5 miles east of Redlands Mesa in Hotchkiss, Colo. remains 90% contained and is 195 acres in size. Fire officials said in their last regular update on Sunday that the expected full containment by the end of the week ending Aug. 15.
While not fully contained, the U.S. Forest Service is no longer providing any updates on the South Rim Fire, which is burning inside Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in isolated and inaccessible areas. Fire officials said the burn scar from this fire "could lead to rockfall, mud slides, and debris flows that would pose a serious risk to anyone in the East Portal." Ignited by lightning on July 10, the fire was last reported to be 4,232 acres in size and 52% contained.
The 4,287-acre Twelve Fire burning 18 miles west of Maybell, Colo. was declared fully contained on Aug. 13, according to BLM officials.
The Wright Draw Fire, caused by lightning on July 10, about eight miles northeast of Gateway, grew to 466 acres in size before it was fully contained on Aug. 5. No injuries were reported, and no structures were lost, according to fire officials.
The lightning-sparked Windy Gap Fire, first reported Aug. 6, burned 30 acres in Grand County and was fully contained on Monday, Aug.11.
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