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Garfield County | Accessibility
Recording of the Community Meeting on August 11, 2025 at Colorado Mountain College at 7 p.m.
Check your zone on this INTERACTIVE EVACUATION MAP (search your address).
The Elk and Lee Fire Information Facebook page
Garfield County: REGISTER FOR ALERTS – garco911.com, INCIDENT UPDATES/SUBSCRIBE – garfieldcounty.net, FACEBOOK – facebook.com/garcosheriff
Air Quality Health Advisory for Wildfire Smoke
Avisos en Español para todo el Estado (Colorado)
Issued for Rio Blanco, Garfield, Mesa and southern Routt Counties
Issued at 8:00 AM MDT, Tuesday, August 12, 2025
Issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Affected Area: Rio Blanco, Garfield, Mesa and southern Routt Counties. Locations include, but are not limited to Meeker, Glenwood Springs, Grand Junction, Gateway, and Phippsburg.
Advisory in Effect: 8:00 AM MDT, Tuesday, August 12, 2025 to 9:00 AM MDT, Wednesday, August 13, 2025
Public Health Recommendations: If smoke is thick or becomes thick in your neighborhood you may want to remain indoors. This is especially true for those with heart disease, respiratory illnesses, the very young, and older adults. Consider limiting outdoor activity when moderate to heavy smoke is present. Consider relocating temporarily if smoke is present indoors and is making you ill. If visibility is less than 5 miles in smoke in your neighborhood, smoke has reached levels that are unhealthy.
Outlook: Smoke from large wildfires in Rio Blanco County will impact the advisory area through at least Tuesday morning. The heaviest smoke impacts will be in areas in close vicinity to the fires, especially during the overnight and early morning hours.
Today, crews will be working on both fires to secure unburned pockets of fuel, strengthen indirect and containment lines, and protect values at risk. Aviation resources, including helicopters and UAS, will be supporting suppression efforts throughout the day, especially as smoke clears.
Please continue to use caution near the fire area.
Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office
Garfield County Emergency Communications Authority
BLM Colorado Fire
Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control
Garfield County Sheriff’s Office – Colorado
Bureau of Land Management – Colorado
Bureau of Land Management – Colorado
U.S. Forest Service – White River National Forest
Rifle Police Department
Check your zone on this INTERACTIVE EVACUATION MAP (search your address).
The Elk and Lee Fire Information Facebook page
Garfield County: REGISTER FOR ALERTS – garco911.com, INCIDENT UPDATES/SUBSCRIBE – garfieldcounty.net, FACEBOOK – facebook.com/garcosheriff
Effective immediately, in the interest of firefighter and public safety, certain public lands managed by BLM White River Field Office in Rio Blanco County are temporarily closed until the #LeeFire is declared controlled or this order is rescinded.
Entry is prohibited, and violators face federal penalties, including fines and imprisonment. Please stay out of the closed area to avoid interfering with firefighting operations.
For more information about the closure, visit the BLM website https://ow.ly/rpZ450WCVBR
Goodnight from the Elk & Lee Fires
Thank you to everyone who joined us for tonight’s community meeting in Rifle. Your questions, input, and support mean so much to our firefighters, partner agencies, and everyone working to support the response.
If you couldn’t attend, the meeting recording will be posted here soon so you can watch at your convenience.
The Lee Fire is 116,859 acres and 6% contained.
Containment dropped slightly due to the increase in acreage. Firefighters are facing very active fire behavior, including fast-moving flames pushed by the wind. Today, crews focused on protecting homes and infrastructure and identifying potential containment lines.
The Elk Fire is 14,549 acres and 30% contained.
The smaller acreage reported this morning is the result of more accurate mapping. Thanks to favorable winds and strong firefighting efforts, growth has remained minimal. Crews are strengthening fire lines and securing unburned areas inside the perimeter.
Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office
Garfield County Emergency Communications Authority
BLM Colorado Fire
Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control
Garfield County Sheriff’s Office – Colorado
Bureau of Land Management – Colorado
Bureau of Land Management Fire
U.S. Forest Service – White River National Forest
Rifle Police Department
8.11.25, 2:01 pm – There will be a public meeting for the Lee Fire tonight, Monday, August 11 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium at the Colorado Mountain College Rifle Campus (3695 Airport Rd, Rifle, CO).
Attendees will hear updates from fire managers and agency representatives, and will have an opportunity to ask questions during the break-out session following the main presentation.
The meeting will be recorded, and the video will be posted here on the Elk and Lee Fires Information Facebook Page after the event.
COMMUNITY NOTICE
8.11.25
GARFIELD COUNTY, CO – The State of Colorado’s motor vehicle system is down at the Garfield County Clerk and Recorder’s Office in Rifle due to the Lee Fire. The estimated time for repair is unknown, but the system is operational at the clerk’s office at the Garfield County Courthouse, 109 8th Street, Suite 200, in Glenwood Springs. Please contact the clerk’s office in Glenwood Springs at 970-384-3700 or visit the motor vehicle website for more information.
8.11.25, 10:55 am – Morning Operational Briefing for Elk and Lee Fires dated August 11, 2025.
Reminder: tonight there is a public meeting at Colorado Mountain College, Rifle Campus at 7pm
Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office
BLM Colorado Fire
Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control
Bureau of Land Management – Colorado
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
U.S. Forest Service – White River National Forest
Bureau of Land Management Fire
Garfield County Sheriff’s Office – Colorado
Garfield County Emergency Communications Authority
Rifle Police Department
8.11.25, 9:01 am – Good morning from the Elk and Lee fires.
As of this morning, current acreage for the Elk Fire at is at 14,635 and 30% contained, the Lee Fire is at 113,378 Acres and 7% contained.
Daily update and maps to come later this morning.
Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office
BLM Colorado Fire
Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control
Bureau of Land Management – Colorado
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
U.S. Forest Service – White River National Forest
Bureau of Land Management Fire
Garfield County Sheriff’s Office – Colorado
Garfield County Emergency Communications Authority
Rifle Police Department
For Garfield County alerts register at https://www.garco911.com view Garfield County updates at https://www.garfieldcounty.net
Air Quality Health Advisory for Wildfire Smoke
Avisos en Español para todo el Estado (Colorado)
Issued for Rio Blanco, Garfield, Eagle, Pitkin and Gunnison Counties
Issued at 8:20 AM MDT, Monday, August 11, 2025
Issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Affected Area: Rio Blanco, Garfield, Eagle, Pitkin and Gunnison Counties. Locations include, but are not limited to Meeker, Glenwood Springs, Eagle, Vail, Aspen and Gunnison.
Advisory in Effect: 9:00 AM MDT, Monday, August 11, 2025 to 9:00 AM MDT, Tuesday, August 12, 2025
Public Health Recommendations: If smoke is thick or becomes thick in your neighborhood you may want to remain indoors. This is especially true for those with heart disease, respiratory illnesses, the very young, and older adults. Consider limiting outdoor activity when moderate to heavy smoke is present. Consider relocating temporarily if smoke is present indoors and is making you ill. If visibility is less than 5 miles in smoke in your neighborhood, smoke has reached levels that are unhealthy.
Outlook: Smoke from large wildfires in Rio Blanco County is impacting a large area of western and central Colorado. Periods of moderate to heavy smoke are possible throughout the advisory area on Monday and Tuesday.