More than half a dozen wildfires continued to burn across Colorado Monday morning, including a new fire that sparked in 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.
The newest wildfire — the Oak fire — sparked on Sunday afternoon in Pagosa Springs and resulted in mandatory evacuations in two subdivisions and was about 75 acres, according to the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control.
As of Monday evening, the fire 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.
By Monday evening the fire was 14% contained but the Archuletta County Sheriff’s Office still reported that the evacuation zone was not safe for residents’ returns.
“There are still many active hot spots in the area and fire crews will continue to work throughout the night and tomorrow morning on the perimeter and interior sections to ensure that all hazards near residences are addressed,” according to a sheriff’s Facebook notice.
The Oak fire prompted mandatory evacuations in the Elk Park and Aspen Springs subdivisions, according to the . 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 lifted for other areas around Pagosa Springs.
Gov. Jared Polis on Sunday night declared a disaster emergency and authorized the National Guard to assist as needed.
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 116,859 acres and 6% containment, according to a Monday evening Facebook post. It is now .
“Containment dropped slightly due to the increase in acreage,” the post stated. “Firefighters are facing very active fire behavior, including fast-moving flames pushed by the wind.”
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 14,549 acres — a small decrease from what previously was reported because of more accurate mapping. That fire is 30% contained as of Monday evening. Crews on Monday focused on protecting homes and infrastructure and identified possible containment lines.
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 . Supported by air resources that dropped retardant on the flames, firefighters strengthened lines around Colorado 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.
Other wildfires in Colorado
In the state’s southwest corner, firefighters were responding to the 3,579-acre Stoner Mesa fire near Rico, and a team of aquatic biologists collected 300 green lineage Colorado cutthroat trout from Wildcat Creek in the Upper Doloris River Basin. The trout are a genetically-unique species that is native to the basin, and biologists feared the fire could change the water’s characteristics and harm the fish, according to a Stoner Mesa fire Facebook post.
The Stoner Mesa fire is burning through stands of conifer, including standing and dead trees and on Monday northern winds pushed the fire southward along the east side of Stoner Creek.
Firefighters on Monday contained the 30-acre Windy Gap fire near Granby, which was sparked by lightning last week. The pulled crews off the fire but said it would continue monitoring for hot spots.
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 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.
