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Aspen Acres spreads fast
A fast-moving wildfire burning southwest of Denver forced thousands to evacuate and destroyed more than 160 structures as erratic winds pushed the Aspen Acres Fire across two Colorado counties.
“growing by 44 square kilometres (17 square miles) overnight to reach a total of 272sq kilometres (105sq miles) by Friday”
The fire expanded overnight by 44 square kilometres (17 square miles) to reach 272sq kilometres (105sq miles) by Friday, with authorities reporting no containment.
Evacuations were ordered for about 2,200 people in Colorado City, along with residents of Beulah, Rye and San Isabel, according to the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office.
Fire crews drew water from the Pueblo Reservoir to fight the blaze, while about 50 Colorado National Guard soldiers were deployed to staff road checkpoints in Pueblo and Custer counties and help keep boats away from water-scooping operations.
On the Colorado–Utah border, firefighters had contained about 65 percent of the Snyder Fire, where three members of a Helitack team were killed and two others were injured last weekend when they were overtaken by flames.
Evacuation pressure and warnings
As the Aspen Acres Fire grew, Colorado emergency officials warned that visibility in parts along Interstate 25 dropped to as little as a half a mile—0.8 kilometres—while smoke disrupted travel.
The National Weather Service kept Red Flag Warnings in place across much of the state on Friday, saying hot, dry conditions, low humidity and gusty winds would continue to create critical fire conditions.
In Pueblo and Custer counties, the National Guard deployment was framed as support for road checkpoints and for keeping boats away from the Pueblo Reservoir during water-scooping operations.
The Denver Post reported that firefighters faced “extreme fire behavior” as the fire ran into Colorado City, up Table Mountain and to Bondurant Road, citing an 8 a.m. update by the Alaska Complex Incident Management Team.
The Denver Post also quoted incident command team spokesperson Al Nash saying, “We really didn’t see that until close to dawn today,” referring to expectations that temperatures would drop and relative humidity would rise overnight.
Other fires and next risks
Beyond Aspen Acres, the wildfire picture included the Cottonwood Fire in Utah, which had grown to more than 380sq kilometres (147sq miles) by Friday, and the Babylon Fire, which had reached 344sq kilometres (133sq miles).
“the Cottonwood Fire in southern Utah, had grown to more than 380sq kilometres (147sq miles) by Friday”
Al Jazeera reported that the latest fires came less than a week after three firefighters were killed and two others were injured after they were overtaken by flames while battling two fires, part of the Snyder complex.
Investigators said the Aspen Acres Fire was caused by humans, but they had not yet released any other details, as authorities continued to coordinate evacuations and response.
The Denver Post said the Aspen Acres Fire was reported as a spot fire near the Aspen Acres campground shortly before 6 a.m. Monday, while the U.S. Forest Service and the Colorado Department of Public Safety investigated the cause.
Looking ahead, Al Jazeera said forecasters warned moister weather over the weekend should help lessen risks, but heavier rain could increase the possibility of flash flooding in recently burned areas.
