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Garfield County | Accessibility
A new video for August 18 has been posted on this page.
Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office
BLM Colorado Fire
Bureau of Land Management – Colorado
Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control
U.S. Forest Service – White River National Forest
Bureau of Land Management Fire
Garfield County Sheriff’s Office – Colorado
Garfield County Emergency Communications Authority
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Rifle Police Department
8.18.25, 6:54 a.m. – Good Morning, It was a quiet night on the fire. As the Incident Management Teams transition today, some crews will begin the demobilization process, but many firefighters and crews remain actively engaged on the scene. Their work continues as they patrol the area, monitor hot spots, reinforce containment lines, and carry out suppression repair efforts. The response is ongoing, and dedicated personnel are still hard at work.
8.14.25, 11:34 am – REMINDER: Community Meeting tonight at 7pm at Colorado Mountain College in Rifle, CO. A Spanish interpreter will be present.
Elk and Lee Fire update document – English
Elk and Lee Fire update document – Spanish
Elk and Lee Fire Update – Thursday, August 14, 2025 – 10:32 am
Size: Elk Fire: 14,518 acres | Lee Fire: 127,107 acres
Total Personnel: 1,274
Containment: Elk Fire: 75% | Lee Fire 3%
Cause: Lightning
Resources: 10 Aircraft | 20 Hand Crews | 81 Engines | 35 Heavy Equipment
Important Notes: Yesterday, the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office upgraded the evacuation status of the following zones: 81 is in GO (red), 85 is in SET (yellow) 84 is in READY (green) Check your zone on this map: https://bit.ly/lee-fire-zones. The change in reported acreage on the Elk Fire is due to better mapping. The decrease in containment for the Lee Fire is due to an increase in acreage and expansion of the perimeter of the fire. Existing containment lines have not been lost. Critical fire weather is expected today on the Lee Fire. Critical fire weather is expected again today on the Lee Fire, then beginning to improve by Friday.
Yesterday: Lee Fire – Critical fire weather arrived as predicted, but firefighters along the Highway 13 corridor made good progress with operations going as planned. Cloud cover in the area aided suppression efforts. Crews working inside the fire reported decreased interior heat and smoke. On the south end, the spot fire just over Highway 5 held well and did not cross into Garfield County. From County Road 5 to County Road 3, lines remain secure. Additional crews are focusing along Highway 13 south to County Road 5 with the goal of making it safe for travel as soon as possible. Four hotshot crews, engines, and a UAS monitored for hotspots, work that will continue over the next several days.
Elk Fire: The Elk Fire remained within established control lines with minimal to no growth. Crews continued to patrol and mop-up, addressing creeping and smoldering hotspots. Work focused on reinforcing lines around structures and values at risk along County Roads 8, 40, and 49. Favorable winds supported suppression efforts, keeping the perimeter secure throughout the operational period.
Current Situation: Lee Fire – Active fire behavior is expected again today, especially in the southern area. Critical fire weather will bring shifting winds, low humidity, and hotter temperatures that will challenge existing lines along Highway 13. Crews will maintain point protection for communities, infrastructure, and other values at risk. Direct line construction will continue on the east side of the fire and from Highway 13 south to County Road 5, as well as holding and improving lines between County Roads 5 and 3. Hotspot detection will continue with UAS flights, supported by hotshot crews and engines for rapid response. The hotspot near the Garfield County line will remain a priority for full suppression and reinforcement.
Elk Fire: Crews will continue to patrol and mop-up the fire, reinforcing containment lines off County Road 8 and in the Beaver Creek area. Work will focus on keeping the fire within existing lines while protecting nearby structures values at risk.
Weather & Fire Behavior: Critical fire weather is expected today, with winds shifting to the west/southwest and gusts over 20 mph. Temperatures will be in the upper 80s to mid 90s, with relative humidity between 8–12 percent. Dry thunderstorms may develop in the afternoon, bringing erratic winds and the potential for rapid changes in fire behavior.
Evacuations and Closures: CR 5 and Hwy 13 remain closed. To sign up for Garfield County Emergency Alerts, go to: https://garco911.com/. For Garfield County updates go to: https://www.garfieldcounty.net/. Go to the Rio Branco County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/RioBlancoCountySheriffsOffice – for accurate up-to-date information on all evacuations and road closures. To sign up for emergency alerts at: https://rioblancoalerts.genasys.com/portal/en. White River National Forest closure information at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/whiteriver/alerts. BLM White River Field Office closures information at: https://www.blm.gov/…/blm-colorado-issues-emergency….
ActualizaciĂłn del incendio Elk y Lee – Jueves 14 de agosto de 2025: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/…/actualizacin-del…
Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office
BLM Colorado Fire
Bureau of Land Management – Colorado
Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control
U.S. Forest Service – White River National Forest
Bureau of Land Management Fire
Garfield County Sheriff’s Office – Colorado
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Air Quality Health Advisory for Wildfire Smoke
Avisos en Español para todo el Estado (Colorado)
Issued for Rio Blanco, Garfield, Routt, Jackson, Grand, Eagle and Summit Counties
Issued at 8:15 AM MDT, Thursday, August 14, 2025
Issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Affected Area: Rio Blanco, Garfield, Routt, Jackson, Grand, Eagle and Summit Counties. Locations include, but are not limited to Meeker, Glenwood Springs, Steamboat Springs, Walden, Granby, Hot Sulphur Springs, Kremmling, Eagle, Vail and Breckenridge.
Advisory in Effect: 9:00 AM MDT, Thursday, August 14, 2025 to 9:00 AM MDT, Friday, August 15, 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: Widespread moderate to heavy smoke has been observed across much of the advisory area Thursday morning. Additional heavy smoke is possible Thursday afternoon and evening, and into Friday morning, for areas downwind of the wildfires in Rio Blanco County. Smoke impacts may shift northward on Thursday, impacting areas along and north of Interstate 70 within the advisory area.
For the latest Colorado statewide air quality conditions, forecasts, and advisories, visit: https://www.colorado.gov/airquality/colorado_summary.aspx
For the latest Smoke Blog, visit:Â https://colosmokeoutlook.blogspot.com/
For more information about smoke and your health, visit:Â https://cdphe.colorado.gov/outdoor-burning/wildfire-smoke-and-health
Operational Briefing Video August 14, 2025 with Operations Section Chief, Jeramy Dietz
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
Elk Fire: 14,518 acres | 75% contained
Lee Fire: 127,107 acres | 4% contained
There will be a public meeting tonight at 7pm at the Colorado Mountain College, Rifle Campus. A Spanish interpreter will be present.
A Red Flag Warning is in effect today, with high temperatures, low humidity, and shifting winds expected to increase fire activity and spotting potential.
Crews on both fires are using a mix of direct and indirect strategies to secure edges, protect homes and other values at risk, and address spot fires. Aircraft are supporting ground efforts and adjusting operations to improve safety as conditions change.
The change in acreage is due to better mapping overnight.
Photo Credit: Wyoming Interagency Hotshots
Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office
BLM Colorado Fire
Bureau of Land Management – Colorado
Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control
U.S. Forest Service – White River National Forest
Bureau of Land Management Fire
Garfield County Sheriff’s Office – Colorado
Garfield County Emergency Communications Authority
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
August 13, 2025, 4:42 p.m. – Critical fire weather arrived as forecasted, bringing hot, dry conditions and increasing west-northwest winds that have driven more active fire behavior and are challenging containment lines. Operations today, including strategic firing, have gone as planned, with ground crews receiving support from aerial resources, including the Chinook helicopter shown here.
Inciweb Lee Fire: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident…/cowrd-lee-fire
Inciweb Elk Fire: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident…/cowrd-elk-rbx-fire
Check your zone on this INTERACTIVE EVACUATION MAP (search your address).
The Elk and Lee Fire Information Facebook page
Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office
BLM Colorado Fire
Bureau of Land Management – Colorado
Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control
U.S. Forest Service – White River National Forest
Bureau of Land Management Fire
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Garfield County: REGISTER FOR ALERTS – garco911.com, INCIDENT UPDATES/SUBSCRIBE – garfieldcounty.net, FACEBOOK – facebook.com/garcosheriff
Zone 81 is in GO (red)
Zone 85 is in SET (yellow)
Zone 84 is in READY (green)
Check your zone on this map: https://bit.ly/lee-fire-zones
The southern edge of the Lee Fire has reached the Garfield County line, prompting the above changes to evacuation status.
Zone 81 and 85 are on top of the Roan Plateau in industrial landscape and BLM area (already under a closure), not residential areas.
Fire managers’ strategic planning includes multiple secondary and contingency lines between the fire’s edge and the southern edge of the Roan Plateau.
As a reminder:
GO = Evacuate immediately from your area. Leave now – danger in your area.
SET = Short notice evacuation likely in your area. Prepare for sudden evacuations. Leave now if you need extra time.
READY = Possible evacuation in your area. Prepare, monitor, and pack your valuables.
INTERACTIVE EVACUATION MAP: http://bit.ly/lee-fire-zones
Garfield County: REGISTER FOR ALERTS – garco911.com
INCIDENT UPDATES/SUBSCRIBE – garfieldcounty.net
FACEBOOK – facebook.com/garcosheriff
Elk and Lee Fire Information page: https://www.facebook.com/elkleefire
La zona 81 está en GO (rojo)
La zona 85 está en SET (amarillo)
La zona 84 está en LISTO (verde)
Consulta tu zona en este mapa: https://bit.ly/lee-fire-zones
El borde sur del incendio Lee ha llegado a la lĂnea del condado de Garfield, lo que provocĂł los cambios mencionados anteriormente en el estado de evacuaciĂłn.
Las zonas 81 y 85 están en la parte superior de la meseta de Roan en el paisaje industrial y el área BLM (ya bajo cierre), no son áreas residenciales.
La planificaciĂłn estratĂ©gica de los administradores de incendios incluye mĂşltiples lĂneas secundarias y de contingencia entre el borde del incendio y el borde sur de la meseta de Roan.
Como recordatorio:
SALIR = Evacuar inmediatamente su zona. Salga ahora: peligro en su zona.
SET = Posible evacuación con poca antelación en su zona. Prepárese para evacuaciones repentinas. Salga ahora si necesita más tiempo.
PREPARADO = Posible evacuaciĂłn en su zona. Prepare, vigile y empaque sus objetos de valor.
MAPA DE EVACUACIĂ“N INTERACTIVO: http://bit.ly/lee-fire-zones
Condado de Garfield: REGÍSTRESE PARA RECIBIR ALERTAS – garco911.com
ACTUALIZACIONES DE INCIDENTES/SUSCRÍBASE – garfieldcounty.net
FACEBOOK – facebook.com/garcosheriff
Página de información sobre incendios de Elk y Lee: https://www.facebook.com/elkleefire
Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 3
Operational Briefing Video August 13, 2025 with Operations Section Chief, Jeramy Dietz
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