Mandatory evacuations remained in place on Thursday for wildfires burning across Colorado.
Read more Trump is taking longer to approve disaster aid and denying Democratic states more frequently
The state’s six large, active fires have together consumed more than 211,000 acres, or 330 square miles.
Jump to: Aspen Acres fire | Gold Mountain fire | Elk fire | Fishhook fire | Ferris fire | Willow fire | Air quality alerts
Aspen Acres fire in Custer and Pueblo counties
Colorado’s largest active wildfire, and the seventh-largest fire in the state’s recorded history, has seen minimal growth this week as crews gain containment on the flames, according to fire officials.
As of Thursday evening, the Aspen Acres fire burning in southern Colorado had consumed 99,820 acres, or 155 square miles, and was 36% contained, fire officials said. That’s up less than 800 acres from Tuesday.
The Aspen Acres fire has destroyed close to 900 structures, Operations Section Chief Brad Washa said during a Tuesday night community meeting. It’s unclear how many of those are homes, but law enforcement in Pueblo and Custer counties previously announced that at least 337 homes and four businesses had been destroyed.
“Fire activity increased on the southwest side of the fire on Wednesday afternoon as temperatures rose and winds increased,” fire officials wrote in a Thursday morning update.
A spot fire crossed defensive lines still under construction near Rye, fire officials said. A “swift and aggressive response” from firefighters prevented the spot fire from spreading, but “conditions such as these are the reason why evacuation orders remain in effect for Rye and other communities on the west side of the fire,” fire officials said.
Fire activity is expected to increase again Thursday afternoon amid afternoon heat and windy weather, according to fire officials.
Mandatory evacuations remained in place for private and U.S. Forest Service land in Huerfano County on Thursday. Sheriff’s officials issued mandatory evacuations on the fire’s western edge, including where Williams Creek crosses into the national forest, along the creek to the intersection of Huerfano County Road 630, north to County Road 636, and west to County Road 634/Gardner Road.
The Bartlett Trail subdivision and the surrounding area are also under evacuation, county officials said.
Updated evacuation maps for Pueblo and Custer counties are available online.
More than 1,700 personnel were on scene Thursday to fight the fire, according to the morning update.
The following roads remained closed for the fire on Thursday, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation:
- Colorado 165 in both directions between McKenzie Junction and Interstate 25
- Colorado 78 in both directions between Colorado 165 and Rock Creek Road west of Pueblo
The exact origin of the fire remains under investigation, but officials believe it was human-caused.
Gold Mountain fire near Ouray
As of Thursday morning, the Gold Mountain fire north of Ouray had consumed an estimated 37,734 acres with 11% containment. That’s roughly 59 square miles.
More than 920 personnel were on scene to fight the wildfire, according to Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 2, which is leading the fire response.
Mandatory evacuations remained in place on Tuesday for residents of Ouray and Gunnison counties north of the fire, according to the evacuation map.
The Ouray County evacuation zone was bordered to the west by County Road 8 and County Road 10, to the south by Baldy Peak, to the east by Green Mountain and the Cimarron Ridge and to the north by Tommy Creek and Deer Creek.
Evacuations were also in effect northeast of the Cimarron Ridge, along the border of Gunnison and Montrose counties, according to the map. That area is bordered to the north by Washboard Rock, to the east by Gunnison County Road 864A, to the south by Hampden Lake and to the west by Cimarron Ridge.
Montrose County residents north of the mandatory evacuation zone and Gunnison County residents to the east of the zone were on pre-evacuation status at that time.
Evacuated residents can seek shelter at the Ridgway Secondary School, 1200 Green St., according to county officials.
The cause of the Gold Mountain fire, which sparked shortly after 5:30 p.m. on June 27, remains under investigation
Read more Is it safe for dogs to be outside on smoky days? Colorado researcher hunts for answers.
Elk fire
A lightning-sparked wildfire burning east of Ouray’s Gold Mountain fire triggered mandatory evacuations in Hinsdale County on Wednesday afternoon as it tripled in size.
The Elk fire, which started on July 9, grew rapidly on Wednesday from an estimated 574 acres that morning to 1,980 acres that evening, according to the U.S. Forest Service. A size update was not yet available Thursday morning.
The wildfire is burning north of Lake City and about 11 miles east of the Gold Mountain fire, according to Colorado fire officials.
Evacuations remained in place for Hinsdale County residents west of Colorado 149 and north of the Independence Gulch Trailhead to the county line on Thursday. The sheriff’s office ordered the evacuations on Wednesday after the fire’s unexpected growth. An updated evacuation map is available online.
County officials set up an evacuation center at the Lake City Armory, 230 N. Bluff St.
Fishhook fire
As of Thursday morning, the Fishhook fire near Steamboat Springs had scorched an estimated 333 acres with no containment in Routt National Forest, near Rabbit Ears Pass, according to the U.S. Forest Service. U.S. 40 remained open as of Wednesday morning.
The fire is roughly three miles from the Steamboat Ski Resort, and Routt County officials ordered a public safety closure of the area. The closure zone is bordered to the south and west by U.S. 40, to the east by Dumont Lake and to the north by Fish Creek Reservoir and Mount Werner.
Pre-evacuation orders were also in effect on Thursday in and south of the public safety closure, according to the county’s emergency map.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Ferris fire in San Juan National Forest, near Dolores
As of Wednesday evening, the Ferris fire had consumed an estimated 64,869 acres, or 101 square miles, in and near the San Juan National Forest north of Dolores. At that time, the flames were 53% contained, fire officials said.
It’s officially the 10th-largest wildfire in recorded Colorado history, surpassing the 2013 West Fork fire, which consumed 58,570 acres, and close in size to the 2002 Missionary Ridge fire, which scorched 70,285 acres, according to records from the Colorado Division of Fire Protection and Control.
A size update was not yet available Thursday morning.
Lightning sparked three fires in the San Juan National Forest on June 27. Those fires then grew and merged into the Ferris fire.
As of Wednesday morning, most of the evacuations had been lifted around the wildfire. Small pockets of mandatory evacuations remained in effect near Ryman Creek and Little Pony Reservoir, but the majority had been downgraded to pre-evacuation status.
Willow fire near Leadville
As of Thursday morning, the Willow fire had consumed roughly 6,861 acres with 37% containment, according to Southwest Area Incident Management Team 4, which is leading the fire response. The burn area covers roughly 11 square miles.
Mandatory evacuations remained in place Tuesday for an area bordered to the north by Lonesome Lake and Isolation Lakes, to the west by Twining Peak, to the south by Echo Creek and to the east by East Tennessee Creek. Updated evacuation information can be found online.
The cause of the fire, which started on June 29, remains under investigation. As of Thursday morning, 533 personnel were on scene to fight the wildfire.
Air quality alerts
The four large fires have led to consistently worsening air quality across the state, prompting state health officials to issue advisories. The warnings mostly cover central, west and southwest Colorado.
The newest alert from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will remain in effect until at least 9 a.m. Friday, according to the agency. That alert includes Hinsdale, Montrose, Ouray, Pueblo, San Juan and San Miguel counties.
If the smoke drops visibility to less than 5 miles in an area, it has reached unhealthy levels, state health officials said in the alert. Those with heart disease and respiratory illnesses, young children and older adults are more at risk.
An ozone action day alert was also issued for the Front Range and will be in effect until at least 4 p.m. Thursday. That alert covers the urban corridor from Douglas County to Larimer and Weld counties, including the Denver and Boulder areas.
Sunny, hot and stagnant weather will allow ozone to reach the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” level on Wednesday, state health officials said in the alert.
Get more Colorado news by signing up for our Mile High Roundup email newsletter.
