MEEKER, Colo. — The Lee Fire is now 99% contained after burning 137,748 acres. Now, Rio Blanco County is starting to see the true economic and agricultural impacts of the fifth largest wildfire in Colorado history.
"Between 80 and 85% of the county's income is from natural resources. That's a lot," Rio Blanco County Commissioner Callie Scritchfield said. "I will say the top three by far are oil and gas and then ranching and wildlife."
The community's livelihood went up in flames, and immediate solutions had to be found.
"Hundreds of livestock were moved out of harm's way, in good shape," Scritchfield said. "They are in the process of figuring out next steps. I mean, there, are people that it's we've had everything from, of course, our drought to fire and to flood, and that's pretty hard to see in one month's time."
What the community is seeing now is a ripple effect.
Scritchfield said ranchers are forced to use up their fall hay now, and their spring hay in the winter, and so on.
"People are in the planning mode right now, and that's going to take a little while, so we all just have to be patient. And each one of them are individuals, and they will handle it a different way," she said.
In the meantime, people like Reece Melton, Rio Blanco County's natural resource policy director, said the community is working on long-term solutions.
"75% of our land is federally managed, so it's essential that we work very closely with our field offices in this recovery and restoration," Melton said. "This calls to the importance of building and developing more resilient landscapes."
He goes on to say, "What can we do with our federal agencies to minimize that impact? Moving forward is going to be really important. I don't think we're quite ready to have those big planning discussions yet, even though we've had to have a few meetings."
While the county figures that out, the immediate economic hit is happening right now.
Scritchfield said Labor Day Weekend, the start of hunting season, is usually bustling. That wasn't the case this year.
"We saw one car and we saw two camping sites, and there was nobody else, and that is going to hit our economy, everything. I mean, the county, the business, the main street business, our guidance outfitters are going to be really impacted by this," Scritchfield said.
She wants people to know roads in the county and Meeker are back open, and they're open for business.
