Cloud cover and slightly more humid weather helped firefighters slow or stop growth on four major wildfires burning across Colorado, fire officials said Wednesday.
But thousands of Coloradans remained under mandatory evacuation orders, and law enforcement officials confirmed more homes were destroyed by the Aspen Acres fire in Pueblo County.
The Aspen Acres, Ferris, Gold Mountain and Willow fires have consumed 296 square miles, approximately twice the size of Denver, since they started burning more than a week ago.
Flames from the Aspen Acres fire burned 4 square miles overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, dropping containment on the 96,031-acre fire slightly to 15%.
Pueblo County damage assessment teams were able to access more of the burn area and confirmed the total number of homes destroyed in the fire is at least 192, Sheriff David Lucero said during a briefing Wednesday. Four Pueblo County businesses also have been destroyed, along with 83 homes in Custer County, bringing the fire’s toll to at least 279 structures.
Two more Custer County homes had major damage, and five had minor damage, Sheriff Rich Smith said.
Although cooler temperatures and moisture from summer storms can help firefighters, they also bring the threat of flash flooding over the burn area because water can’t be absorbed into the charred soil, Aspen Acres incident commander Jake Livingston said. National Weather Service forecasters issued a flash flood watch for the area around the fire Wednesday.
Fire officials did not report any growth on the other three wildfires, with the holding at 57,365 acres, or 90 square miles, and 19% contained; the Gold Mountain fire north of Ouray at 31,420 acres, or 49 square miles, and 8% contained; and the Willow fire near Leadville at 4,333 acres, or 7 square miles, and up to 16% contained, from 10% on Tuesday.
Light showers and cloud cover also helped firefighters on the Gold Mountain and Willow fires, but crews on the Ferris fire to the south were not as lucky, officials said Wednesday.
“Extreme fire behavior” on Tuesday afternoon continued overnight into Wednesday, forcing middle-of-the-night evacuations south of the fire as flames burned over the canyon rim.
“Yesterday’s intense fire activity produced rapid uphill runs, torching and crown fire through the Glade Canyon and Big Spring Gulch drainages,” officials said in a Wednesday update.
Warmer, drier weather is expected to return to most of the state this week, fire officials said.
