Tag: wildfires
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Colorado 165, 78 reopen after being closed for over a month from Aspen Acres fire
Colorado 165 and 78 reopened Friday night after being closed for over a month because of the Aspen Acres fire, Custer County Sheriff Rich Smith said. The authorities closed the highways on or around June 29 when the blaze broke out in Custer and Pueblo counties. “Very important to notice, though, the forest service roads…
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Colorado wildfire roundup: Aspen Acres fire containment falls slightly
Crews working the Aspen Acres fire successfully knocked down some hot spots and established fire lines in recent days, as containment fell from 71 to 68% on Wednesday. That work was done on the southern edge of the fire, including an area near Rye that firefighters are calling the “chicken foot.” The fire has seen…
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Air quality advisory hits every Colorado county thanks to smoke from Pacific Northwest
The hazy air conditions in Colorado Springs, due to smoke from several wildfires burning in Eastern Washington, will likely persist for at least another day, according to the National Weather Service in Pueblo. “We had a front come in last night, and it brought a lot of the (wildfire) smoke with it,” Mike Garberoglio, a…
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GUEST COLUMN: Protecting Colorado Springs starts before fire arrives
People in Colorado Springs do not need to be reminded that wildfire can change a community for years. We saw smoke over the foothills, watched neighborhoods evacuate, and waited for word about homes, trails, watersheds and the places that give this region its identity. We also know that fire does not stop being a community…
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Fourth firefighter dies in Knowles fire in western Colorado
A fourth firefighter died Friday of burns sustained in the Knowles fire along the Utah-Colorado state line, the Department of the Interior announced Saturday. Nathan Matthews, 43, of Lincoln, Neb., was one of five firefighters involved in a burnover while fighting the blaze on June 27. Three other firefighters — Emily Barker, 38, of Clinton…
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Aspen Acres fire: Evacuation zone around San Isabel in Custer County lifted Friday
Evacuations in the San Isabel area were lifted Friday, and residents are free to return home, according to the Custer County Sheriff’s Office. Evacuation Zone C-2 was reopened Friday morning. The zone is now in pre-evacuation status and residents should be prepared to leave again quickly, the sheriff said. Access is only allowed through McKenzie…
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More Aspen Acres fire evacuations lifted in Custer County
As firefighters work to gain containment on the 100,000-acre Aspen Acres fire, more evacuation orders have been lifted in Custer County. On Monday morning, officials announced that Zone C3’s mandatory evacuation order has been rolled back to a pre-evacuation order, and Zone C4 is now open for reentry. Reentry cards are needed for anyone attempting…
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Nearly 3 weeks after Aspen Acres fire, Rye evacuee sees no end in sight
Vicki Rose and her husband scrambled to gather a lifetime of belongings as one of the most destructive wildfires in state history came knocking on their door. They had 30 minutes to collect everything they could from their home in Rye on June 29 before the Aspen Acres fire made it unsafe to stick around.…
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Colorado wildfire roundup: Aspen Acres blaze crosses 100,000-acre threshold; crews gain containment
The seventh-largest wildfire in Colorado history crossed the 100,000-acre threshold over the weekend, but firefighters battling the Aspen Acres blaze have also made large strides in containment. As of Sunday morning, the wildland fire was 100,224 acres with 61% containment, according to Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 6. With most of the containment on…
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Latest damage assessment of Aspen Acres fire lowers total homes destroyed, containment hits 61%
Editor’s note: This story was updated with information provided by officials Friday night. Following a big jump in containment, a damage reassessment for the Aspen Acres fire has lowered the total number of destroyed homes. Initially thought to be 337 total homes destroyed in Pueblo and Custer counties, the number has decreased to 319 overall,…