As crews continue to battle wildfires across the state, more evacuations and pre-evacuations have been ordered due to several fires growing in size. Multiple agencies in different jurisdictions around Colorado ordered a new round of evacuations and pre-evacuations on Wednesday afternoon.
Rio Blanco County: Lee and Elk Fires
There are two large wildfires in Rio Blanco County that have burned more than 30,000 acres. Evacuations have already been sent for certain areas in the county, and the Rio Blanco Sheriffโs Office continued with more evacuations and pre-evacuations on Wednesday. Zone 40 is located southwest of Meeker and just east of Lion Canyon. The area contains a stretch of Highway 13. Immediate evacuations are ordered for the area.
Zone 41 is a pre-evacuation order. The sheriffโs office said to begin packing belongings, and if anyone is in need of more time, begin leaving already. Zone 41 is just north of Zone 40 and covers a large portion of Meeker. The sheriffโs office said that grass and irrigated fields are holding the fire well, but the potential for it to jump is why pre-evacuations are ordered.
Grand County
The Grand County Sheriffโs Office said that pre-evacuations have been issued because the Windy Gap Fire has grown in size. The office said to begin packing the essentials and pay close attention to its social media page or GCEmergencyโs website. Zone G41 covers a large south-to-north area located west of the Willow Creek Reservoir. Zone G48 is also on pre-evacuation orders. The zone covers the area west of Granby.
