Tag: wildfires
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Aspen Acres fundraising surpasses $1.5 million, as families return to ashes
Joshua MacLeod and his family had three hours to evacuate from their home in Rye as high winds drove the explosive growth of the Aspen Acres fire. They fit what they could in two cars, leaving behind most of the belongings accumulated over 17 years of marriage, he said. Firefighters cut fences for their two…
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Rural school leaders share lessons learned from past wildfires
Public educators throughout Colorado held a virtual meeting to discuss strategies school districts can adopt before, during and after natural disasters, as wildfires continue to burn across the state. The meeting, hosted by the Colorado Rural Schools Alliance on July 15, shared stories, resources and advice from school leaders who underwent emergency responses to natural…
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Aspen Acres fire nears 100,000-acre mark
The Aspen Acres fire in Pueblo and Custer counties continued slow growth, according to officials on Wednesday, nearing the 100,000-acre burned mark. Colorado’s seventh-largest fire in history grew by 452 acres since Tuesday, meaning it’s burned 99,529 acres. Containment remained at 36%. The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday said the community of Beulah was…
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3,000 evacuees remain displaced from Aspen Acres fire as incident command changes hands
By Savannah Eller and Nick Smith The wait has no end in sight for evacuated residents of Rye, near where the Aspen Acres fire continues to burn in rough, tinder-dry terrain to the west. While about 6,400 people have been able to return to communities like Colorado City, Wetmore and Beulah, Pueblo County Sheriff David…
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Evacuations in Huerfano County expand on south side of Aspen Acres fire
As residents on the north end of the Aspen Acres fire were permitted reentry Tuesday, communities to the south are being evacuated. More than two weeks after the fire started, the Aspen Acres fire saw little overnight growth and it stood at 99,077 acres burned with 36% containment as of Tuesday morning. The Huerfano County…
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Pueblo officials lift evacuations for north side of Aspen Acres fire
The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office lifted evacuations for residents who live along the north and northeastern side of the Aspen Acres fire Tuesday. Residents south of Highway 96 and north of Highway 78 could return to their homes starting at 8 a.m., according to an announcement from the office. The areas will remain in pre-evacuation…
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Schools step in to assist in Aspen Acres fire response
As crews battle the Aspen Acres fire, schools are using their resources and summer break to offer support. Officials set up camping and places for the firefighters to rest at the Colorado State University Pueblo campus and Pueblo D-60’s Heaton Middle School. In Custer County, District C-1 will house hundreds of firefighters at the school…
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Inferno’s advance defied ‘usual’ fire behavior: Volunteer firefighter at Aspen Acres
Like her fellow crewmates on the Southern Colorado Interagency Wildland Fire Team, 34-year-old Amanda Wood was no stranger to challenges that sometimes defied standard logic. An Army veteran, EMT and Palmer High School science teacher, Wood trained to be a firefighter, then joined the all-volunteer agency in March. Less than four months later, she was…
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Phased reentry planned Monday for ‘many’ Beulah evacuees, officials say
As the Aspen Acres fire nears 100,000 acres burned, “many” Beulah evacuees could return to their homes soon, Pueblo County authorities said Saturday. Unless fire conditions change, the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office said residents can return starting Monday. It will be a phased reentry, and residents must have a card from the Disaster Assistance Center,…
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Aspen Acres fire: Activity increases as crews brace for hot, dry Saturday
Fire officials said activity on the west side of the Aspen Acres fire increased Friday, with an uptick of activity expected Saturday as hot and dry conditions persist. According to the Alaska Complex Incident Management Team 1, the fire was active in the west near North Muddy Creek, south of San Isabel and north of…