Eagle County officials issued for people living in the northwest corner of the county as activity on the 100-acre Derby fire picked up Tuesday.
People living south of the Routt County line and east of the Garfield County line to the Colorado River should be prepared to evacuate, county officials said. The warning also includes the community of Burns and east to Eby Creek Road. Updated are available online.
Evacuations were lifted Monday night for the Crosho fire burning in Rio Blanco and Routt counties, but areas surrounding the wildfire remain on pre-evacuation notice, according to county officials.
The Crosho fire is one of multiple wildfires actively burning on Colorado’s western slope that together have consumed hundreds of miles, including one that started less than two days ago.
The Lee fire burning west of the Crosho fire in Rio Blanco County is Colorado’s fifth-largest wildfire on record, according to the state’s .
Jump to: Lee and Elk fires | Derby fire Stoner Mesa fire | Crosho fire
Lee and Elk fires near Meeker
The drought-fueled Lee fire burning near Meeker in Rio Blanco County appears to be turning a corner as fire crews steadily increase containment, officials said Tuesday.
Because of tireless work from local, state and federal agencies and community members, “conditions have subsided” on the and incident commander Brent Olson said in an update Tuesday. The Lee fire was 60% contained Tuesday night.
“We are now focused on those few remaining areas of heat and closing those last remaining areas of open perimeter and helping set the stage for recovery,” Olson said.
A new team, the Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 1, took command of the fire Monday night.
The lightning-sparked wildfires started on opposite sides of Meeker more than two weeks ago and together have consumed hundreds of square miles.
Extreme drought, hot weather, gusty winds and steep terrain have challenged firefighters, but forecasters expect moisture to return to the region starting Wednesday and to increase through the weekend, fire officials said in an update.
The Elk fire is fully contained, but spot fires are possible if the wind sends embers over the fire line, fire officials said. The fire was still burning inside the containment lines as of Monday.
The wildfire burn areas are closed to the public, and multiple zones on the Lee fire’s southern edge remain under mandatory evacuation orders. Pre-evacuation orders were lifted Monday around the Elk fire, but remain active around the Lee fire, fire officials said.
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The two wildfires have destroyed five homes and 14 outbuildings.
Derby fire in Eagle County
A new wildfire sparked in the “remote, rugged terrain” of White River National Forest on Sunday, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
The Derby fire was discovered about 15 miles from Dotsero in Eagle County late Sunday morning, .
It was as of Tuesday night and growing, becoming more active as temperatures rose. Eagle County officials sent out for people living in the northwest corner of the county “as a precaution,” and no buildings are in immediate danger, according to the forest service.
Flames were first spotted on a steep cliff above the west fork of Red Dirt Creek, fire officials said. Fire activity picked up on Monday as flaming debris rolled down the cliff, spreading the fire.
The U.S. Forest Service in Eagle and Garfield counties because of the fire, from Sweetwater Lake to the north, east along the forest boundary to Derby Loop Road, northwest along Middle Derby Creek to Island Lakes and south along Island Lakes, W Mountain, Turret-Crescent and Turret Creek trails.
Fire officials believe the wildfire was started by lightning.
Stoner Mesa fire, near Dolores
A wildfire burning in the San Juan National Forest in western Colorado has consumed nearly 9,000 acres with no containment.
The lightning-sparked is burning on 8,964 acres in Dolores County, according to a Tuesday morning update.
“Today will continue to be hot and dry with relative humidity reaching critical values,” fire officials said in the Tuesday update, adding that lower humidity, hotter temperatures and minimal cloud cover are expected over the next few days.
The nearby town of Rico remains on pre-evacuation status, and to the public because of the fire. New pre-evacuation orders were issued Monday night from the edge of Dolores County to the Navajo Trailhead, .
Fire officials have been reluctant to send firefighters too far into the blaze to fight it because of the steep terrain and hazardous conditions, Stoner Mesa fire incident commander Justin Conrad said at a .
Crosho fire near Yampa
Evacuation orders were lifted Monday for a wildfire that at one point threatened more than 200 structures. No structures have been destroyed, fire officials said.
The burning on the border of Rio Blanco and Routt counties west of Yampa is 16% contained, fire officials said Tuesday.
“Fire activity remains low across the fire’s footprint, though unburned fuels within the interior continue to be consumed, producing persistent heat and smoke,” officials wrote in a
Cool temperatures, calm winds and light precipitation over the weekend helped moderate fire behavior, but a warmer and drier week ahead could fan the flames, fire officials said.
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