VIDEOS/PHOTOS: The Lee Fire burning in Rio Blanco and Garfield Counties has grown to become the fifth-largest wildfire in Colorado history, scorching more than 113,000 acres since it broke out on Aug. 2. Sunday night, firefighters described challenges on the southern edge of the fire brought forth by the weather and drought conditions.
The Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) announced Saturday that it has begun evacuating 179 individuals in custody from Rifle Correctional Center in response to the rapidly evolving Lee Fire in Rio Blanco County. These evacuations were in addition to the ones already in place in several zones surrounding the Rio Blanco County fire.
The 113,000-acre Lee Fire has exploded in size after lightning sparked the blaze eight days ago. The intense heat from the state’s largest active wildfire is even creating its own weather. In a Sunday update, officials said weather conditions caused more extreme fire behavior in the Lee Fire Saturday. Firefighters on the north and northeast sides of the fire successfully strengthened firelines and built confidence in the fire containment efforts. The southern end of the fire is well staffed and prepared for more extreme fire behavior moving south.
Governor Jared Polis has mobilized the Colorado National Guard to support response efforts for the Elk Fire and Lee fires in Rio Blanco County, and two Type 1 aircraft will be helping firefighters on the ground with suppression efforts. No lives have been lost, but several structures, including national park infrastructure, have been damaged or destroyed by these fires. More than 130,000 acres of land have been scorched across Delta, Dolores, Garfield, Grand, Mesa, Moffat, Montrose, and Rio Blanco counties, as well as in parts of eastern Utah.
