Aspen Acres Fire Destroys More Than 160 Structures as Colorado Communities Evacuate

The wildfire southwest of Denver grew to about 115 square miles with no containment Friday, prompting evacuations across Pueblo and Custer counties as crews battled the blaze by air and ground.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

A fast-moving wildfire southwest of Denver has forced thousands of residents to evacuate and destroyed more than 160 structures as shifting winds drove the flames across parts of Pueblo and Custer counties.

The Aspen Acres fire had grown to about 115 square miles, or 297 square kilometers, by Friday afternoon and remained zero percent contained, according to the information provided. The blaze is among roughly 40 large uncontained wildfires burning mostly across the West after months of dry conditions and a winter that brought record-low snow in some areas.

Authorities ordered evacuations for multiple Colorado communities as the fire expanded. All of Colorado City, an unincorporated community of about 2,200 residents, was placed under an evacuation order, according to the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office. Evacuation orders were also issued for Beulah, Rye and San Isabel.

Fire personnel used aircraft to scoop water from Pueblo Reservoir as part of the firefighting response. Additional support was being deployed Friday, including about 50 National Guard soldiers assigned to assist with staffing road checkpoints in Custer and Pueblo counties.

Guard members were also expected to help State Park Rangers as additional boats were brought in to keep boaters away from areas where aircraft were collecting water for firefighting operations.

The Aspen Acres fire is burning as crews elsewhere in the region continue to respond to several major blazes.

On the western side of the Rocky Mountains, fire crews had contained about 65% of the Snyder Fire near the Colorado-Utah border. Three members of a helitack team were killed and two others were injured there last weekend after they were overcome by flames.

In southwestern Utah, the Cottonwood fire had grown to about 147 square miles, or 380 square kilometers, by Friday. The Babylon fire in southeastern Utah had expanded to 133 square miles, or 344 square kilometers.

The fires come during a difficult start to the Western wildfire season, with dry weather, limited snowpack and wind-driven fire behavior complicating containment efforts across several states.