As of Aug. 1, this story will no longer be updated every day. It will be updated with major developments.
LEADVILLE , Colo. — All evacuation orders for the Willow Fire burning west of Leadville were lifted July 30. Some areas remain in pre-evacuation status.
"Although evacuation statuses have been reduced, the Willow Fire remains an active incident," Lake County sheriff's office officials said in a Jule 30 afternoon post. "Residents are encouraged to remain aware of changing conditions, continue to monitor official updates, and be prepared to take action if conditions change."
The Willow Fire has burned through 7,196 acres miles west of Leadville, as containment held at 67% Aug. 1.
The fire was first reported on June 28 and was determined to be human-caused, but the exact origin and method are not yet known. Twelve injuries have been reported and 1,132 structures were threatened.
The sheriff's office said July 9 the estimated cost of the response was $10.2 million, covered primarily by the federal government, as the fire is on federal lands.
Click here for an interactive map with the most up-to-date details on evacuations and pre-evacuations. Sign up for emergency alerts here.
Below are the latest details on this fire.
Thursday, July 30
2 p.m. | Evacuations lift | All evacuation orders for the Willow Fire were lifted Thursday afternoon. Some areas remain in pre-evacuation status, and re-entry cards are required for those areas.
"Although evacuation statuses have been reduced, the Willow Fire remains an active incident," Lake County sheriff's office officials said in a Thursday afternoon post. "Residents are encouraged to remain aware of changing conditions, continue to monitor official updates, and be prepared to take action if conditions change."
8:28 a.m. | Acreage and containment latest | The Willow Fire remains estimated at 7,196 acres and containment grew again Thursday to 66%, according to the incident management team.
On the east side of the Willow Fire, near the fish hatchery, firefighters have spent the last two days backhauling equipment no longer needed on the line, according to the incident management team. Backhauling is the process of retrieving equipment once a section of the fire is secure and no longer requires active suppression. The last two days, firefighters have removed three miles of hose, 30 five-gallon fuel cans and roughly 4,000 pounds of gasoline.
Wednesday, July 29
9:47 a.m. | Acreage update and latest on containment | The Willow Fire remains at 7,196 acres while containment grew to 64% Wednesday morning, according to the incident management team.
Tuesday, July 28
10:30 a.m. | Operational update | Fire officials working the Willow Fire west of Leadville provided the following operational update:
Fire updates will now be provided every other day given the progress fire crews have been making on the fire.
Rainfall on Sunday evening helped firefighters to better address lingering pockets of heat, especially in the west and southwest areas near the Mount Massive Wilderness.
Crews are working to remove hose and backhauling equipment from the fireline in the vicinity of the fish hatchery. In the east and south portions of the fire, firefighters and Resource Advisors are advancing suppression repair work.
Inside the fire footprint, isolated pockets of unburned fuel continue to smolder, but they are not threatening containment.
Monday, July 27
11:32 a.m. | Rain and repairs | The Willow Fire saw "considerable rain" across the area on Sunday evening, according to the incident management team.
In addition, they said suppression repairs will remain the priority on the north, east and southern parts of the perimeter.
"Within the Mount Massive Wilderness, Wildland Fire Modules are addressing remaining areas of heat, which included an estimated 300–500 spot fires," the team wrote on Facebook.
The fire management is now in the hands of Wyoming Incident Management Team 3.
Sunday, July 26
4:15 p.m. | Operations update | California Interagency Incident Management Team 8 Operations Section Chief Jason Flores said that crews continue to secure the southwest area of the fire. This is a part of the fire that is not yet contained. Aircraft will help increase containment here, Flores said.
Crews will keep paroling on the north side of the fire, looking for heat. Repair efforts that have already started will also continue over the next few days.
3:15 p.m. | Containment increases | Containment at the fire has grown to 62%.
Friday, July 23
7:41 p.m. | Containment and acreage update | The fire is currently 7,196 acres, and containment rose to 58% Friday.
Thursday, July 23
7 p.m. | Containment and acreage update | Containment rose to 55% by Thursday evening, and the fire held at 7,196 acres, according to an evening update from the incident management team.
8 a.m. | Operational update | In an operational update Thursday morning, fire officials working the Willow Fire said the following:
Very light rain fell primarily on the Bald Eagle Mountain side of the fire on Wednesday, with thunderstorms producing lightning and requiring firefighters to temporarily disengage from firefighting operations due to safety.
Fire officials said significant rainfall is needed to penetrate the forest canopy and increase fuel moisture, and added the fire continues to move toward sparse, high-elevation fuels in the Mount Massive Wilderness.
Firefighters continue building a contingency line in the southwestern portion of the fire as vegetation is still being chipped in the Halfmoon Creek area. Suppression repair efforts have begun across the fire area, except on primary containment lines, they added.
Scattered showers were expected Thursday morning, but no widespread rainfall is anticipated to help firefighters battle the blaze. Rain remains in the forecast each day through the rest of the week. If showers and thunderstorm activity develop as predicted today, fire behavior is expected to decrease, they wrote.
Pre-evacuation notices for Zones 4A, 4B, 6B, 9, 21D, 22A, 22, and 23 have been lifted,
Wednesday, July 22
8 p.m. | Containment update | The fire is now 51% contained and is 7,196 acres, according to the latest update from the incident management team.
1 p.m. | Forest area closure reduced | The area of US Forest Service land closed by the fire has been reduced, per the Forest Service. For a list of rec sites still impacted by the closure, visit this site.
11:40 a.m. | Operations update | California Interagency Incident Management Team 8 Operations Section Chief Jason Flores explained that "excellent efforts" have occurred along the fire's northern edge. Suppression repairs are underway around the fire's edge, starting on that northern section.
8:45 a.m. | Acreage latest and containment update | The Willow Fire estimate remains at 7,196 acres while containment jumped to 48%, according to the incident management team.
Tuesday, July 21
12:30 p.m. | Operations update | Nearly 700 people are working around the Willow Fire, according to California Interagency Incident Management Team 8 Operations Section Chief Trainee Forrest Gale. He said Tuesday's focus will center on mop-up operations on the north end of the fire.
More of that work will continue along the east side of the fire as well.
10:05 a.m. | Tuesday morning update | Firefighters are removing hazardous trees around the Leadville fish hatchery as the fire continues to smolder in the Bald Mountain area. The fire has not threatened control lines.
Crews continue to scout and construct firelines in higher, steeper terrain in the Mount Massive Wilderness.
The chance of rain Tuesday is expected to increase in the afternoon and continue through the rest of the week.
10:02 a.m. | Latest on acreage and containment | The Willow Fire is holding relatively steady with the estimated acreage now totaled at 7,196, and containment maintaining at 41%, according to the incident management team.
Monday, July 20
8:55 a.m. | Latest on acreage and update on containment | The Willow Fire was estimated at 7,181 acres Monday morning and had grown to 41% containment, according to the incident management team.
Saturday, July 18
9:30 a.m. | Light rain has little impact | Light rain fell Friday, but had minimal impact on fire behavior, according to the latest update from the incident management team.
There's a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms Saturday afternoon.
The fire is burning 6,967 acres and is 37% contained.
Friday, July 17
7 a.m. | Operations update | The Willow Fire continues to consume available fuels inside the containment lines as firefighters work to strengthen and add depth to those lines, fire officials said in their briefing Friday morning.
In the southeast portion of the fire, the fire continued moving into higher elevations where fuels are scattered. The long-term drought and a critically dry fuel bed have played a significant role in wildfire vulnerability for this area, they added.
Recent minimal rainfall "has done little to mitigate the issue," fire officials said.
Thunderstorms and lightning on Friday may produce brief heavy rain accompanied by local gusty, erratic winds, they warned.
Thursday, July 16
10 p.m. | Open for business | Leadville has seen a tourism slump in the wake of the fire, but business owners and town officials are stressing that the town is open for business, Denver7's Alex Dowd reports. Plus, organizers for the Leadville Trail 100 announced Wednesday that they were given the green light to continue with the remainder of their summer race series.
8:24 p.m. | Containment holds | Containment held at 37% as of Thursday evening.
"Crews are finding success with a combination of strategic burning operations and the use of natural features to their advantage," an evening update on InciWeb said. "While the rugged, inaccessible terrain, specifically Bald Eagle Mountain area continues to present challenges, firefighters were able to improve the fire’s edge, nonetheless."
11 a.m. | Operations update | California Interagency Incident Management Team 8 Operations Section Chief Jason Flores said firefighters have had "some excellent" line put in place on the northwest side of the fire. Direct extinguishment strategies are in place for that area.
Mop-up efforts continue on the northeast side. The southern part of the fire has a pocket of unburned area, which may result in more smoke once it starts to burn.
7:30 a.m. | Operations update | Firefighters were able to improve edges around the Willow Fire on Wednesday, despite rugged terrain in the area, especially near Bald Eagle Mountain. There is a 70% chance of thunderstorms Thursday afternoon.
Wednesday, July 15
7:50 p.m. | Acreage and containment update | Containment rose to 37% Wednesday evening, up from the 28% containment reported Wednesday morning. The fire is currently 6,861 acres, according to the update from the incident management team.
11:31 a.m. | Operations update | California Interagency Incident Management Team 8 Operations Section Chief Trainee Forrest Gale said on Wednesday, crews will continue to strength control lines on the north side near Bald Eagle Mountain.
They will continue to work to prevent the fire from spreading east, toward Leadville, with expected storms this week.
Control line preparations will continue to the south of the fire.
10:05 a.m. | Acreage update and containment update | 6,539 acres have now burned in the Willow Fire and containment has dropped to 28%, according to the incident management team. More than 1,100 structures have been threatened, according to the team's update.
Tuesday, July 14
11:01 a.m. | Acreage and containment update | The Willow Fire now stands at 6,408 acres burned and 29% containment, according to California Interagency Incident Management Team 8.
Seven injuries have been reported and 1,090 structures have been threatened.
Monday, July 13
8:41 a.m. | Acreage update | While the Willow Fire has grown to 6,239 acres, containment has also grown to 33%, according to the incident management team.
Sunday, July 12
2:24 p.m. | Evacuation update | The Lake County Sheriff's Office and Incident Management Team have lifted the pre-evacuation notice for Zone 1. Zone 21A remains under mandatory evacuation. Click here for an interactive map with the most up-to-date details on evacuations.
Crews are reinforcing Halfmoon Road (County Road 11) as a fire break.
8:31 a.m. | Acreage update | The Willow Fire has grown to 5,853 acres. It is 25% contained, according to the incident management team.
Incident meteorologists are predicting an upcoming wind shift, from the northwest to the southeast, the team added. This may change fire behavior and create fire growth in the Busk Creek area.
Leadville reached a high of 81 degrees on Saturday, surpassing the 80-degree record set in 2003, the team said.
Saturday, July 11
9:15 a.m. | Acreage latest | Saturday's updated showed the fire has burned 5,352 acres and remained at 22% containment, according to the incident management team., which added "an uptick in fire behavior is expected" due to hot, dry and windy conditions. A red flag warning is in effect for the area through Sunday.
▶️ In the video player below, Denver7 breaks down each Colorado wildfire update as of Saturday AM.
Friday, July 10
8:17 p.m. | Acreage update | The fire grew slightly to 4,499 acres. It remains 22% contained, according to the incident management team.
8 p.m. | Update from sheriff | Lake County Sheriff Speckman said the community should prepare for a red flag warning on Saturday morning through Sunday. An uptick in fire activity is expected.
All evacuations and road closures remain the same.
10 a.m. | Latest on acreage and containment update| The Willow Fire only measured slightly larger by Friday morning than the day prior at 4,499 acres — up from 4,466 acres Thursday night. Containment remains at 22%, according to the incident management team.
Incident meteorologists are anticipating uptick in critical fire weather as forecasts trend hotter, drier and windier heading into the weekend, setting the stage for a potential Red Flag Warning.
Friday's temperatures are expected to hover in the mid to upper 70s with winds gusting up to 50 mph, according to incident meteorologists.
Thursday, July 9
9:30 p.m. | Containment update and cost of response | Containment has risen to 22% on the 4,466-acre fire, according to an evening update from the incident management team.
"The Willow Fire did receive measurable precipitation during today's rain showers," officials wrote in the update. "While fire behavior analysts do expect the moisture to have a slight moderating effect on the Willow Fire tomorrow, fuels are expected to dry out by Sunday."
Friday's temperatures are expected to be in the mid to upper 70s, with wind gusts up to 50 mph, according to the incident management team.
The sheriff's office said Thursday evening the estimated cost of the response is $10.2 million, covered primarily by the federal government, as the fire is on federal lands.
10:23 a.m. | Re-entry card update | The Lake County Public Library Amax room will be the only place where Willow Fire evacuees can get re-entry cards, beginning Thursday, according to Lake County Office of Emergency Management.
The Darren Patterson Christian Academy in Buena Vista will no longer serve as a Re-entry card location.
The hours available for getting re-entry cards at Lake County Public Library are as follows:
- Thursday, July 9 from 1-7 p.m.
- Friday, July 10 from 1-7 p.m.
- Saturday, July 11 from 1-5 p.m.
9 a.m. | Lake County Sheriff's Office briefing | Evacuation, pre-evacuation zones and road closures remain in place Thursday morning, Lake County Sheriff Speckman said. The numbers have not changed signfiicantly, according to Speckman. The Willow Fire has burned around 4,300 acres, 16% containment, approximately 650 personnel involved and $9 million in total cost associated with the wildfire.
Wednesday, July 8
4:30 p.m. | Acreage update | As of the latest mapping available, the Willow Fire is 4,364 acres and 16% contained.
2:19 p.m. | Evacuation update | The Lake County Sheriff's Office said it has updated the evacuation map to improve public safety and easy of travel on Highway 24. Here are those updates:
- Zone 23 has been divided into Zones 23 and 23A, split along Highway 24 to provide more divisive evacuation information
- Zone 6B has expanded and now extends all the way to Highway 24
- The pre-evacuation status has been lifted for Zone 23A and Zone 7
- No new additional zones are being placed in pre-evacuation
Here is the full interactive evacuation map.
10 a.m. | Damage | Lake County Sheriff Speckman said in an update Wednesday morning that the total cost of the Willow Fire is approximately $7.8 million.
9:15 a.m. | Suppression activities continue | To the north of the Willow Fire, firefighters are working to improve and hold onto firelines to prevent any embers from making their way north of Turquoise Lake, the incident management team said.
Aerial resources are dropping water over the fire.
"While firefighters are taking a direct approach to engage the edge of the fire with suppression tactics when and where it is safe to do so, the steep and inaccessible terrain of the Mount Massive Wilderness area makes portions of the fire’s perimeter hazardous to firefighters. In these instances, firefighters are establishing fireline at a safe and accessible distance from the fire perimeter. The goal of confining the Willow Fire to as small a perimeter as possible, as safely and quickly as possible, remains an operational priority."
The area of the fire will see a 30% chance of rain on Wednesday.
The closure of the Pike-San Isabel National Forest in this area has expanded.
Tuesday, July 7
6 p.m. | Community update | Fire officials provided an update on the Willow Fire. It is ongoing. Tune in or watch it in full below.
10:36 a.m. | Operational update | Firefighters will continue their proactive firing operations that they started on Monday south of the Leadville National Fish Hatchery. This will bolster containment, the incident management team said.
"Firefighters will continue securing the direct line established along the western edge of the fire’s perimeter, where containment continues to grow," they said. "Structure triage will continue north of Turquoise Lake, and crews are continuing to mop up and secure direct fire line established north of the power lines."
Firefighters are continuing to establish containment lines along the southern perimeter of the fire.
Thunderstorms are expected today.
Monday, July 6
8 p.m. | Race cancellation | The Leadville Race Series said it has canceled its Silver Rush events for this upcoming weekend.
4:26 p.m. | Containment increase | The containment for the Willow Fire has increased from 1% to 5%, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
3:35 p.m. | Aircraft update | In an operations update, Rocco Terracciano, air operations branch director, said about six aircraft are currently working around the Willow Fire. All are working out of the Leadville airport, he said.
In addition, a Type 1 Skycrane is expected to arrive on Monday.
3:30 p.m. | Re-entry information | Following an in-depth discussion today, the Lake County Sheriff's Office and U.S. Forest Service Fire Operations have updated some evacuation zones.
"To simplify our evacuation map and improve clarity, we have made an update to Zone 6A. Zone 6B now includes Lake Fork, Stargazer Circle, and County Road 11," the Lake County Sheriff's Office said. "Residents wanting to return to the 6B Zone are advised that a Salamander (re-entry) card is required for re-entry."
Re-entry will start at 3 p.m. with anybody who needs additional assistance, such as older residents and people with disabilities. Lake Fork residents can re-enter at 3:30 p.m. and residents in the surrounding areas will be allowed in at 4:30 p.m.
1:20 p.m. | Community meeting | A community meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Lake County High School auditorium, located at 1000 W. Fourth Street in Leadville. Fire officials will provide an update on the wildfire.
9:28 a.m. | Total acreage update | The Willow Fire stands at 4,143 total acres burning with 1% containment, according to the Southwest Area Complex Incident Management Team.
The American Red Cross of Colorado has relocated the Colorado Mountain College evacuation center to Darren Patterson Christian Academy in Buena Vista.
The Lake County Regional Airport in Leadville has closed to all flights other than for medical transport.
Meteorologists are predicting a 50% chance of showers tomorrow with wind gusts up to 50 mph that will make smoke from the Willow Fire visible throughout the area.
9 a.m. | Lake County Sheriff's Office briefing | There were zero calls for fireworks on July 4, Lake County Sheriff Speckman said Monday morning.
A temporary flight restriction has expanded over the Willow Fire area. More information from the FAA can be found here. Drone use can interfere with firefighting operations and pose a serious risk to safety.
“We had an issue yesterday we had to address," Lake County Sheriff Speckman said Monday morning.
7 a.m. | Re-entry ID card pickup | Residents in evacuation and pre-evacuation zones can pick up their re-entry identification cards through 1 p.m. at the E. 6th and Poplar Gravel Lot, according to Lake County.
From 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., residents in need of re-entry ID can go to the Lake County Public Library Amax Room.
Sunday, July 5
9 p.m. | Total acreage update | 3,987 acres have burned in the Willow Fire, according to the Facebook page dedicated to tracking the wildfire. It sits at 1% containment.
8 p.m. | Road closures | The Lake County Sheriff's Office announced new road closures Sunday night, including Highway 24 at Highway 300 to block Highway 300. County Road 4 and County Road 5 at the railroad tracks was also closed to block County Road 4. The County Road 9 and 99 road closure remains to block County Road 9.
Denver7 is tracking the latest information on each of the wildfires burning in Colorado. If you'd like to catch up on coverage from last week, check out stories from Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday through the weekend.
3:30 p.m. | FEMA grant | Colorado has been authorized for a FEMA Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) for the Willow Fire, Governor Jared Polis announced. This will make funding available for FEMA to pay 75% of the state's eligible firefighting costs. The grant does not provide assistance to individual home or business owners, nor infrastructure damage caused by the fire.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office ordered evacuations in Zone 6A, while Zones 1, 4 and 7 were placed into pre-evacuation status as the Willow Fire expanded south.
The latest map is below.
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