US EditionAfter Smoke and Fire Delayed the Start of School, Garfield RE-2 Headed Back to Class
The Lee Fire, fueled by drought and dry lightning, expanded nearly 4,000 acres with over 1,200 personnel battling the fifth-largest wildfire in Colorado history.
- On Wednesday morning, the Lee Fire reached 120,650 acres in Rio Blanco County, surpassing the Spring Creek Fire to become Colorado’s fifth-largest wildfire.
- Since sparking from a lightning strike southwest of Meeker on Aug. 2, the region received only 13 of its normal precipitation, creating extreme drought conditions.
- 1,284 personnel are deployed to fight the Lee and Elk fires in Rio Blanco County, including 14 aircraft, 26 hand crews, 77 engines, and 10 heavy equipment units.
- Following the fire, eight evacuation zones in Rio Blanco County were under red status, and Garfield Re-2 School District postponed the 2025-26 school year until Wednesday.
- Critical fire conditions are forecast to continue through Thursday, and incident commanders and evacuees are hoping for a 60% chance of rain on Friday.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Meeker residents are still impacted as Rio Blanco fires burn south
Firefighters are continuing to battle challenging weather conditions as they try to contain the Lee and Elk Fires which have distressed residents in nearby Meeker.Temperatures in the high 80s to low 90s, dry conditions and wind have prompted another day of Red Flag Warnings for the area.The Lee Fire has exploded to 127,107 acres and containment dropped to 3% Thursday because the fires perimeter continues to grow. Three homes and 12 outbuildings …
As Lee fire continues southward, crews are fighting and residents are praying Colorado 13 holds as a fire line
The fire in northwestern Colorado has burned 127,000 acres, and firefighters have built layers of contingencies behind the current fire lines to stall the fast-moving flames
Colorado wildfire updates: 5 homes destroyed in Elk Fire, Lee Fire
DENVER (KDVR) — Wildfire officials say the fires that have burned more than 130,000 acres in Rio Blanco County have destroyed five homes. The Lee Fire, now the 5th biggest wildfire in Colorado history, is still mostly uncontained and grew more overnight Wednesday to Thursday to 127,107 acres. It has spread across Rio Blanco County to the Garfield County line, prompting elevated evacuation notices Wednesday afternoon near the town of Rifle. …
Steamboat Pilot & Today
Wednesday update: Lee Fire surpasses 120,000 acres; crews focus on southern edge as evacuations expand
The Lee Fire grew to 120,650 acres Wednesday morning, an increase of nearly 4,000 acres since Tuesday, as hot, dry and windy conditions fueled active fire behavior in its southern portion. Containment dropped from 6% to 4%, but fire officials said the decrease was due to the fire’s expanding perimeter and not a loss of existing containment lines. The nearby Elk Fire remained at 14,549 acres and increased to 75% containment. Both fires were spark…
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