ELBERT COUNTY, Colo. — Multiple wind-whipped blazes on Colorado’s Eastern Plains prompted evacuation orders and scorched thousands of acres amid red flag conditions on Tuesday.
A fast‑moving Elbert County wildfire driven by westerly gusts up to 55 mph and sustained winds up to 35 mph triggered evacuation orders in Lincoln and Elbert counties.
However, both of those orders have since been lifted.
The County Road 169 Fire, as it is being called, started around noon and grew to an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 acres, burning in short grass prairie and cultivated fields east of Matheson near the Lincoln County line, according to the Elbert County Sheriff's Office.
As of 5 p.m., the sheriff's office reported that forward progress near HWY 71 has been stopped, and crews — using 15 engines and 8 tenders — are shifting to patrol and mop up.
Two fires continue with one moving into southwestern Morgan county northwest of Hoyt. The other remains east of Matheson over Elbert county and is nearing the Lincoln county line. #cowx pic.twitter.com/inkO3MSWyZ
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) February 17, 2026
The fire has forced road closures in the area, including southbound HWY 71 one mile south of Limon at County Road 3C.
There have been no reports of injuries or structural loss at this time. The extent of property damage is unknown.
The cause is under investigation.
At the same time, in Weld and Morgan counties, crews are battling another wind-driven blaze.
Officials said about seven agencies are involved in fighting the fire, which has grown to about 300 acres.
The Morgan County Sheriff told Denver7 that crews "are starting to get a good handle" on the fire, but that mop-up efforts will take some time.
No evacuations were reported in that fire, and details as to what may have caused the blaze have not been released.
The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for strong winds and low relative humidity for a large portion of the Easter Plains.
The warning will continue on Wednesday.
A high wind warning is also in effect for much of Eastern Colorado on Tuesday.
Wind gusts of up to 66 mph were recorded in the area where the fires are burning.
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.
