Aspen Acres fire doubles overnight, forces Pueblo evacuations

The Aspen Acres fire in Pueblo County surged dramatically as firefighters struggled to control it, growing from 55,391 acres to 73,377 acres in less than a day and pushing into the community of Colorado City near Interstate 25, where residents were evacuated i

By the time the sun rose over Colorado City, smoke had already swallowed the middle of the night.

The Aspen Acres fire—described as Colorado’s largest active wildfire—roared across Pueblo County and into the community near Interstate 25 south of Pueblo. It grew from 55,391 acres, or 87 square miles, on Thursday night to 73,377 acres, or 115 square miles, by Friday afternoon. Fire officials reported it is burning with no containment and is now twice the size of Fort Collins.

Under normal conditions, wildfires often calm at night when temperatures drop and humidity rises. But Alaska Complex Incident Management Team spokesperson Al Nash said that pattern didn’t show up until late.

“We really didn’t see that until close to dawn today,” Nash said Friday morning.

Two major runs carried the fire around midnight and again at 4 a.m. and it burned into Colorado City. forcing residents to evacuate in the middle of the night. Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero said the county was not able to assess the damage on Friday because fire conditions kept inspectors from getting in.

On Friday afternoon, Lucero also told residents to take the behavior of the fire seriously. While he said the fire was still about 12 miles away from Pueblo city limits and residents are not on a pre-evacuation notice. he described what he has seen as something he never encountered in 26 years of law enforcement.

“They are not on a pre-evacuation notice, but we have seen some things I’ve never seen in 26 years in law enforcement with the behavior of this fire,” Lucero said. “You should have a plan, and you should be prepared if that call does come.”

Firefighters were focused on keeping homes and infrastructure from being overwhelmed. Incident Commander Jake Livingston said the work remains centered on protection as the fire continues its spread.

The urgency is sharpening around well-known landmarks and housing areas. The Aspen Acres fire is burning within 200 yards of Bishop’s Castle, a popular tourist attraction, according to Custer County Sheriff Rich Smith.

More than 3,800 addresses are still under mandatory evacuation in both Pueblo County and Custer County.

Custer County ordered additional mandatory evacuations in Wetmore on Friday afternoon, calling the fire “unpredictable and constantly changing.”

Even as crews concentrated on Aspen Acres, other fires across Colorado also expanded Friday.

Near Dolores, the Ferris fire in the San Juan National Forest grew by more than 6,000 acres, or 9 square miles. It has consumed 33,428 acres, or 52 square miles, since it started burning June 27. Fire officials said containment dropped slightly Friday—from 10% to 9%—as the fire pushed toward the Benchmark Lookout.

To the north in Ouray County. the Gold Mountain fire grew by 6 square miles Friday and has burned 21. 789 acres. or 34 square miles. with no containment. Mandatory evacuations and forest closures are still active around the wildfire. which is threatening an estimated 2. 602 homes. according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

To the east. the Willow fire near Leadville grew by about 200 acres and had consumed 2. 541 acres. or 4 square miles. with no containment as of Friday evening. Mandatory evacuations remain active around the fire. including in the Turquoise Lake area. and Lake County officials ordered more evacuations south of the fire late Friday.

Near the Utah state line. fire crews gained ground on the Snyder fire in Mesa County. reaching 95% containment by Friday evening—up from 65% containment on Thursday night. Fire officials confirmed the fire did not grow overnight and has burned 30. 191 acres. or 47 square miles. in Utah and Mesa County.

The scale of this week’s firefighting work is also being measured in loss. Firefighters Emily Barker, Nick Hutcherson and Sydney Watson were killed while fighting the fire last week. A public memorial service is set for 11 a.m. Sunday at the amphitheater in Grand Junction’s Las Colonias Park, 925 Struthers Ave. The service will be livestreamed online at youtube.com/@usdaForestService.

As Aspen Acres keeps expanding with no containment, the picture that emerges across the region is the same one residents feel in real time: fire behavior that won’t wait for daylight, evacuations that come fast, and an exhausting chase to protect what can still be protected.

Aspen Acres fire Pueblo County Colorado City evacuation Bishop’s Castle mandatory evacuations wildfires Colorado Fort Collins size Ferris fire Gold Mountain fire Willow fire Snyder fire