A rapidly spreading wildfire in Colorado has forced thousands of residents to evacuate, with more than 160 structures destroyed as of Friday. The Aspen Acres fire, burning southwest of Denver, has expanded across two counties due to erratic winds. The fire is one of approximately 40 large, uncontained blazes currently burning across the western United States, fueled by months of dry weather and a record lack of snow in some areas this past winter. The fire grew by 17 square miles overnight and reached nearly 105 square miles with zero containment.
Fire personnel are utilizing water from the Pueblo Reservoir to combat the blaze. The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office has ordered the evacuation of all residents in Colorado City, an unincorporated community of about 2,200, as well as the towns of Beulah, Rye, and San Isabel. To support firefighting efforts, about 50 National Guard soldiers have been deployed to assist with staffing checkpoints on roads in Custer and Pueblo counties.
Additionally, Guard members will aid State Park Rangers in keeping boaters clear of water-scooping operations. Meanwhile, fire crews on the western side of the Rocky Mountains have made progress in containing the Snyder Fire on the Colorado/Utah border, with approximately 65% of the fire under control. The National Interagency Fire Center reports that over 9,000 personnel have been deployed nationwide to battle more than 50 major wildfires.
The scale of the danger was underscored last weekend when three firefighters were killed in a wildfire on the Colorado–Utah border. Evacuation orders are currently in place across Arizona, Washington, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah.
