Lee Fire becomes 5th largest in Colorado history as Oak Fire burns to the south
The Lee Fire near the town of Meeker in Rio Blanco County has grown to be the fifth-largest wildfire in state history as crews continued to battle fires in several parts of Colorado Monday.
Dry weather and strong winds have pushed the Lee Fire south toward Garfield County, blazing through more than 113,000 acres. It was at 7 percent containment as of Monday. The fire was believed to have been caused by lightning August 2.
The state’s newest wildfire, the Oak Fire, sparked Sunday west of Pagosa Springs in Archuleta County. The blaze prompted mandatory evacuations in Elk Park and pre-evacuation orders in other nearby areas.
Governor Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency to support Oak Fire response efforts Sunday, and he authorized use of the National Guard as needed. The fire had burned 75 acres as of Monday morning.
The Elk Fire burning in northwestern Colorado, east of the Lee Fire, had reached 30 percent containment on Monday as crews gained more control over the flames. As of Monday, it had burned more than 14,600 acres. It was also believed to have been started by a lightning strike.
As the Lee Fire continued to move south throughout the weekend and on Monday, the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office warned residents near parts of Rifle to prepare for potential evacuation orders.
On Saturday, all 179 inmates in the Rifle Correctional Center were evacuated, according to the Colorado Department of Corrections. The evacuees were relocated to the state prison in Buena Vista, and no injuries were reported.
Crews have kept the Lee Fire from reaching past the west side of Colorado Highway 13, according to a Monday morning briefing by Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management 3.
For information on road closures and evacuations, visit the Garfield County Emergency Operations Center website, the Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office Facebook, the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office Facebook, and the Elk and Lee Fire Information Facebook.
