DENVER — The Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) announced Saturday that it has begun evacuating 179 individuals in custody from Rifle Correctional Center in response to the rapidly evolving Lee Fire in Rio Blanco County.
Inmates at the Rifle Correctional Center are being transferred to other CDOC facilities, the agency said.
These evacuations are in addition to the ones already in place in several zones surrounding the Rio Blanco County fire.
On Sunday, the Garfield County Sheriff's Office issued pre-evacuation notices for those in Zone 72 and Zone 73, which includes the Rifle Correctional Center.
The Town of Meeker is no longer under a pre-evacuation status.
The 107,000-acre Lee Fire has exploded in size after lightning sparked the blaze Aug. 3. The intense heat from the state’s largest wildfire is even creating its own weather.
Denver7 Meteorologist Stacey Donaldson explains in the video below how a firestorm is created:
The wildfire is one of at least eleven others burning across the Western Slope.
No lives have been lost, but several structures, including national park infrastructure, have been damaged or destroyed by these fires.
More than 130,000 acres of land have been scorched across Delta, Dolores, Garfield, Grand, Mesa, Moffat, Montrose, and Rio Blanco counties, as well as in parts of eastern Utah.
- Denver7 has created the map below to give you a better idea of where these fires are located. The map will be updated as needed should more wildfires ignite over the following days.
A sizeable portion of the Western Slope is under extreme drought conditions, 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.
Gov. Jared Polis has verbally declared a disaster declaration for several areas affected by the wildfires, which frees up state and federal resources, and has ordered the Colorado National Guard to respond to the fires in Rio Blanco County.
FEMA has also authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the two fires.
Lee Fire
Size: 106,672 acres
Containment: 6%
First reported: August 3 at 1 p.m.
Cause: ⚡️
Location: 18 miles southwest of Meeker
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; Rifle Correctional Center
Pre-evacuations: County Road 22 (Little Hills) off of County Road 5, as well as for residents along County Road 33
The Lee Fire, which merged with the Grease Fire, is burning southwest of Meeker, and is now Colorado's largest wildfire at more than 106,000 acres in size. The lightning-sparked fire, first reported on Aug. 3, is burning in pinyon, juniper, grass and brush fuels on both state and federal land.
Oil and gas, as well as power infrastructure, are at risk from the fire, according to BLM officials.
In a Sunday update, officials said weather conditions caused more extreme fire behavior in the Lee Fire Saturday. Firefighters on the north and northeast sides of the fire successfully strengthened firelines and built confidence in the fire containment efforts.
The southern end of the fire is well staffed and prepared for more extreme fire behavior moving south.
County Road 8 remains closed from mile marker 11 to mile marker 19. Other road closures include County Road 3 off County Road 5, County Road 22, County Road 76, and the intersection of County Roads 127 and 129.
Governor Jared Polis has mobilized the Colorado National Guard to support response efforts for the Elk Fire and Lee fires in Rio Blanco County, and two Type 1 aircraft will be helping firefighters on the ground with suppression efforts Friday.
Updates posted to:
Elk and Lee Fire Information
Rio Blanco County Sheriff's Office
Elk Fire
Size: 14,635 acres
Containment: 9%
First reported: August 2
Cause: ⚡️
Location: 11 miles east of Meeker
Evacuations 🏠: County Road 8 from mile marker 11 to mile marker 16 (impacting both sides of the road); County Road 40 and County Road 63; the north side of the road between Sleepy Cat to Lake Avery; south of Highway 64 from mile marker 58 trough mile marker 67, including County Roads 127, 66, and Brightwater Lane
Pre-evacuations: From Avery to Pot Hole Ranch; both sides of County Road 14; County Road 57 (Miller Creek); and County Road 8 from mile marker 19 to mile marker 27
The lightning-sparked Elk Fire, first reported on Aug. 2, is burning 11 miles west of Meeker in Rio Blanco County.
The fire remains active and continues to burn in pinyon, juniper, and oak brush fuels across private land, state and federal lands, according to the Rio Blanco County Sheriff's Office.
The fire has destroyed at least one home and four outbuildings.
In a Sunday update, officials said firefighters have been able to build upon previous efforts to continue strengthening the fireline. The Elk Fire has benefited from cloud coverage, and firefighters have taken advantage of the lower fire activity.
Fire officials said continued mop-up and structure protection have worked well, especially along the County Road 8 corridor.
Governor Jared Polis has mobilized the Colorado National Guard to support response efforts for the Elk Fire and Lee fires in Rio Blanco County, and two Type 1 aircraft will be helping firefighters on the ground with suppression efforts Friday.
County Road 8 from mile marker 10 to 18 is restricted to local traffic only (meaning, only residents who live in the area can use those roads). County Road 4, 13, 22, 33, 36, 66, 76, 127, as well as Highway 13 south, are closed in both directions between Piceance Creek Road (15 miles north of Rifle) and Highway 64 (2 miles south of Meeker) from mile markers 19 to 39. Highway 64 is also closed from County Road 7 to County Road 5 until further notice.
The Rio Blanco County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday afternoon 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
Leroux Fire
Size: 195 acres
Contained: 90%
First reported: August 3
Cause: ⚡️
Location: 1.5 miles east of Redlands Mesa in Hotchkiss, Colo.
Evacuations 🏠: No evacuation orders at this time
Pre-evacuations: 3100 Road north of the intersection of 3100 Road and Oak Mesa Road, starting at and including the 7X Ranch north to the U.S. Forest Service Boundary and private in-holdings in the area of Forest Service Road 128 up to Bailey Reservoir
The lightning-sparked Leroux Fire, first reported on Aug. 3, is burning in the area of Oak Mesa outside of Hotchkiss in Delta County.
Sunday, in the last regular update for the Delta County fire, officials said that after several days of Red Flag weather conditions and high winds testing the control lines, fire managers have a high level of confidence that the risk of spread is low.
Fire personnel will remain assigned to the Leroux Fire until it is fully contained and the impacts of fire suppression are mitigated. They expect to achieve full containment by mid-week.
A road closure for non-residential traffic that had been in place at 3100 Road and Redlands Mesa Road has been removed and the public is now allowed to access the public lands beyond this point, fire officials said.
Oak Mesa Road remains closed at The Castle, however, and firefighters continue to use 3100 Road to access the fire, so residents are urged to use caution when traveling in this area.
Residents were advised to text lerouxfire to 65513 to receive updates.
Updates posted to:
InciWeb
Delta County Alerts
Hotchkiss Fire District
West Slope Fire Info
Stoner Mesa Fire
Size: 2,531
Containment: 0%
First reported: August 5
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 Aug. 5, is burning west of Telluride inside the San Juan National Forest in Dolores County.
In a Friday update, fire officials said crews on the ground scouted the fire area for potential control features while additional crews, dozers, an infrared-equipped drone, and other resources were ordered for fire support.
Fire crews will focus Friday on assessing structures far in advance of the fire out of an abundance of caution along County Road 38 (West fork of the Dolores River), and will construct fireline along the FS Road 555 spur.
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: 28,403 acres
Contained: 49%
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 27,000 acres. Ten crews, eight engines, 12 heavy equipment, and four helicopters are battling the blaze, totaling 592 firefighters in all.
In a Sunday update, officials said that the fire continues moving into the previously burned area of the 2023 Cow Creek prescribed fire. Containment lines have been completed and will be monitored. Structure protection prep work is continuing, and sprinklers have been placed in a few locations.
Crews are continuing to monitor the western edge of the fire near private property but have not reengaged due to hazardous firefighting conditions. On the eastern side, crews remain focused on patrol, mop‑up, and suppression repair.
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
Mesa County Sheriff’s Office Facebook
Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit Facebook
Twelve Fire
Size: 4,287 acres
Contained: 55%
First reported: August 6
Cause: Unknown
Location: 18 miles west of Maybell, Colo.
Evacuations 🏠: No evacuation orders at this time
Pre-evacuations: No pre-evacuations at this time
The Twelve Fire burning in Moffat County has grown to more than 4,000 acres in size as it continues to burn near Highway 40. However, on Sunday, officials announced that the fire had been downgraded to a Type 4 incident.
No homes have been damaged or destroyed so far, but two outbuildings, a shed and an outhouse, have been lost, deputies said in an update on Aug. 7.
In an update Friday, Moffat County deputies said Stage 2 fire restrictions are now in effect for the county to prevent human-caused wildfires in the area as fire crews continue active suppression efforts throughout the day.
The cause of the fire is not known at this time.
Though Highway 40 is back open (albeit with speed reductions still in place), Deer Lodge Road, Campground and Boat Launch are currently closed by the National Park Service. Dinosaur National Monument is also closed.
Updates posted to:
Moffat County Sheriff's Office
Windy Gap Fire
Size: 30 acres
Contained: 80%
First reported: August 6
Cause: ⚡️
Location: Grand County
Evacuations 🏠: No evacuation orders at this time
Pre-evacuations: No pre-evacuations at this time
The lightning-sparked Windy Gap Fire, first reported Aug. 6, is burning in Grand County and remains at approximately 30 acres in size as firefighters continue to battle the blaze, which fire officials said has so far destroyed five uninhabited small cabins.
In a Friday update, Grand County deputies said the sheriff, in consultation with the Windy Gap Fire Incident Commander, evaluated projected fire behavior and, as a result, has lifted the pre-evacuation status for residents in the G41 and G48 zones.
Multiple agencies have provided fire suppression as firefighters continue battling the blaze, with two helicopters and a Single Engine Air Tanker (SEAT) were also brought in to help.
Residents were encouraged to sign up for CodeRED alerts.
Updates posted to:
Grand County Sheriff's Office
Grand County Office of Emergency Management
Peninsula Fire
Size: 17 acres
Containment: 100%
First reported: July 31
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
Deer Creek Fire
Size: 17,724 acres
Containment: 97%
First reported: July 10
Cause: ⚡️
Location: 1 mile north of Old La Sal
Evacuations 🏠: Parts of San Juan County, Utah; parts of Montrose County
Pre-evacuations: No pre-evacuations at this time
Firefighters continue battling the Deer Creek Fire, which is primarily burning in eastern Utah but has also extended into parts of Montrose County.
In a Friday update, Utah fire officials said resources continue to patrol and monitor the fire line.
There is no information available on any structural loss at this time.
Updates posted to:
InciWeb
Utah Wildfire
Montrose County Sheriff’s Office Facebook
WILDFIRES THAT HAVE BEEN FULLY CONTAINED
The 107-acre Coulter Creek Fire, which is burning in Carbondale, was fully contained on August 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.
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 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 August 5. No injuries were reported, and no structures were lost, according to fire officials.
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