More than half a dozen wildfires continued to burn across Colorado Monday, including a new fire that sparked on Sunday afternoon near Pagosa Springs.
Firefighters have been able to get control over several of the blazes as hot and dry conditions — especially in western and southern portions of the state — pose risks for new fires to start.
Oak fire
The newest wildfire — the Oak fire — sparked on Sunday afternoon in Pagosa Springs and resulted in mandatory evacuations in two subdivisions. As of Monday evening, it had burned 150 acres and threatened more than 5,100 buildings and 2,000 homes, according to a news release from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. On Monday, FEMA released federal money to cover up to 75% of Colorado’s firefighting costs after determining it threatened enough damage to be classified as a major disaster, the agency’s news release stated.
The Oak fire prompted mandatory evacuations in the Elk Park and Aspen Springs subdivisions, according to the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office. The blaze damaged a small barn, one pump house, one pergola, one carport and a camper trailer but no homes had been burned as of Monday evening.
Pre-evacuation orders were also issued for other areas around the city.
Gov. Jared Polis on Sunday night declared a disaster emergency and authorized the National Guard to assist as needed. The fire did not grow overnight into Monday, authorities said, but there was no containment on the fire yet.
Lee fire
The state’s largest wildfire, the Lee fire, burning near Meeker in Rio Blanco County and headed toward Rifle in Garfield County, grew to 113,378 acres with 7% containment Sunday. It is now Colorado’s fifth-largest wildfire on record.
The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday alerted residents in areas north of downtown Rifle to prepare for a possible evacuation order. That came a day after the Colorado Department of Corrections evacuated nearly 180 incarcerated people from the Rifle Correctional Center to the Buena Vista Correctional Complex “in an abundance of caution” Saturday night.
The Elk fire, east of the Lee fire, was measured at 14,635 acres with 30% containment Sunday night.
The weather, coupled with drought conditions, continued to create challenges for firefighters on the southern end of the Lee fire over the weekend, according to an update from the Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office. Supported by air resources that dropped retardant on the flames, firefighters strengthened lines around State Highway 13 and County Road 5.
There was good news Monday. The sheriff’s office announced that three “zones” within the fire footprint had been downgraded in terms of the need to evacuate. Still, authorities urged residents in the area to “stay vigilant and remember that conditions can change quickly.”
Crews continue to arrive from around the country to help battle both fires, with crews “working day, swing and night shifts on both fires,” the sheriff’s office posted online.
A public meeting providing the latest updates on the Lee fire will be held at 7 p.m. Monday at the Colorado Mountain College Rifle campus at 3695 Airport Road in Rifle.
Other wildfires in Colorado
In the state’s southwest corner, firefighters were responding to the 2,500-acre Stoner Mesa fire near Rico. The San Juan Team 8 worked the fire along the Colorado 145 corridor on Sunday. There was no immediate information about evacuation orders.
Firefighters managed to increase containment of the 30-acre Windy Gap fire near Granby, which was sparked by lightning last week, to 90% on Sunday. The Grand County Sheriff’s Office said it would pull crews off the fire over the next 24 to 48 hours.
Crews appeared to be getting the upper hand on both the Twelve and Thirteen fires in Moffat County, with the Twelve fire at nearly 4,300 acres and containment at 55%. The 45-acre Thirteen fire near Craig was declared “under control” Sunday with all evacuation and pre-evacuation orders lifted.
Statewide impacts
The Delta County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday said its dispatch center was being “inundated” with 911 calls about smoke in the county. Authorities said there were no confirmed reports of any new fires in the county but that lots of smoke from the Lee fire to the north was settling over the Grand Mesa, and up through Hotchkiss and Paonia.
“Please do not call to report the smoke and instead only call 911 or dispatch if you have visual confirmation on active flames of a new wildfire!” the sheriff’s office posted on Facebook late Sunday night.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on Monday issued an air quality health advisory because of the smoke from wildfires in the past week. An advisory for Rio Blanco, Garfield, Eagle, Pitkin and Gunnison counties was issued to begin at 9 a.m. Monday and last until 9 a.m. Tuesday. Montezuma and La Plata counties were given air quality warnings on Monday night.
Cities in the warning area include Meeker, Glenwood Springs, Eagle, Vail, Aspen and Gunnison. Health authorities are advising people to stay indoors and limit outdoor activity if the smoke becomes thick. People with heart disease and respiratory illness are at particular risk.
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