Road closures and evacuation orders are in place in several towns in western Colorado, while others remain in pre-evacuation status. There have been a handful of residential and structural losses this week, particularly in the Lee Fire in northwestern Colorado, which has quickly grown into one of Colorado's largest recorded wildfires of all time.
The Lee Fire started as separate fires in Rio Blanco County but grew fast after two combined last week as high winds, dry conditions and difficult access made containing the blaze increasingly difficult. As of late August 13, the Lee Fire had grown to 123,222 acres at just 4 percent containment, with three homes and twelve other buildings destroyed, according to county officials.
The Lee Fire is one of five wildfires now burning in Western Colorado. The nearby Elk Fire, also in Rio Blanco County, had burned nearly 15,000 acres by Wednesday night and had destroyed two homes, county officials noted. Despite the windy, dry weather, fire crews in Rio Blanco County have been largely pleased with containment efforts; by late August 13, the Elk Fire was reportedly at 75 percent containment.
Although considered effectively contained, one of the state's longest-burning fires, the South Rim fire, is still burning in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and has destroyed several buildings.
A few other wildfires are burning large areas of land but haven't yet led to evacuation orders, including the Turner Gulch fire in Mesa County (29,068 acres, 53 percent contained), South Rim Fire in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison (4,232 acres, 52 percent contained), Leroux Fire (195 acres, 90 percent contained) and Crosho Fire (1,700 acres, 0 percent containment).
Extreme winds and dry weather could cause several of these fires to grow.
Wildfires in Colorado have become increasingly common during the summer — although the dry climate and high winds have resulted in plenty of blazing destruction in winter, as well. According to the state Division of Fire Prevention & Control, all twenty of Colorado's largest recorded wildfires have occurred since 2001, with the three largest all happening in 2020.
Find a list of Colorado's largest wildfires and most destructive blazes below.
Largest Wildfires in Colorado
1) Cameron Peak Fire, 2020208,913 acres burned
2) East Troublesome Fire, 2020
193,812 acres burned
3) Pine Gulch Fire, 2020
139,007 acres burned
4) Hayman Fire, 2002
137,760 acres burned
5) Lee Fire, 2025
123,222 acres burned (and counting)
6) Spring Creek Fire, 2018
108,045 acres burned
7) High Park Fire, 2012
87,284 acres burned
8) Missionary Ridge Fire, 2002
70,285 acres burned
9) West Fork Fire, 2013
58,570 acres burned
10) 416 Fire, 2018
54,129 acres burned
Most Homes Lost in a Colorado Wildfire
1) Marshall Fire, 20211,084 homes lost
2) Black Forest Fire, 2013
489 homes lost
3) East Troublesome Fire, 2020
366 homes lost
4) Waldo Canyon Fire, 2012
346 homes lost
5) High Park Fire, 2012
259 homes lost
