Colorado wildfires: Lee Fire grows to more than 100K acres amid 'near-critical' weather
Share and Follow


Update: The Lee Fire has now grown to be the 5th largest wildfire in state history. Follow the latest updates here.

DENVER (KDVR) One of the fires burning now more than 100,000 acres in Rio Blanco County in northwest Colorado continues to grow during ongoing “near-critical fire weather” conditions, though fire crews are slowly starting to contain the blaze.

The Lee Fire, one of two fires in Rio Blanco County in addition to the much smaller Elk Fire, has burned 106,672 acres near the town of Meeker. The Elk Fire has held relatively steady at 14,635 acres, fire officials reported Sunday morning.

Both fires do have some containment, according to officials, with the Elk Fire 9% contained and the Lee Fire 6% contained. More than 1,000 personnel are working on fire response.

The Lee Fire is the 6th largest fire in Colorado history, according to the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control.

“Although crews were able to make excellent progress with firefighting efforts, and there was less smoke in the air as days before, firefighters still saw extreme fire behavior today,” officials said in a Saturday night post.

The extreme fire behavior was likely to continue Sunday amid low humidity, gusty winds and a lack of cloud coverage.

“The very dry fuels with the expected weather could result in extreme fire behavior in some areas of the fire,” officials said Sunday morning.

Several areas of Rio Blanco County and Garfield County are under evacuation or pre-evacuation notices.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like

JD Vance Fires Back at Jen Psaki’s Controversial Comment on His Wife, Sparking Political Debate

Vice President JD Vance expressed strong disapproval of MSNBC host Jen Psaki’s…

Controversial Halloween Display Sparks Heated Debate on Cultural Sensitivity and Racism

Samar Alkhdour, a Palestinian mother residing in Canada, has publicly criticized local…

Alphonso Joyner Convicted in Fatal Shooting of 71-Year-Old Woom Sing Tse in Chicago’s Chinatown

In a Chicago court, a jury has delivered a guilty verdict in…

Unsolved Mystique: The Struggle to Sell the Infamous Murdaugh Hunting Lodge

The South Carolina hunting lodge, once the site of a tragic double…

Trump Halts Trade Talks with Canada Amid Controversial TV Ad Campaign

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced late Thursday that he is halting…

CBP Commander Faces Allegations of Tear Gas Misuse, Defying Judicial Mandate

In a developing story out of Chicago, U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory…

K-pop Icon Unveils Heartbreaking Motivation for Undergoing Plastic Surgery Transformation

A once-controversial K-pop icon, who left fans in disbelief with her striking…

Rabbis Issue Strong Warning in Fox News’ ‘Antisemitism Exposed’ Newsletter

Fox News introduces the “Antisemitism Exposed” newsletter, delivering insights into the increasing…