Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 3
Elk and Lee Fire update document
8.12.25, 9:29 am – Elk and Lee Fire Update – Tuesday, August 12, 2025
Size: Elk Fire: 14,549 acres | Lee Fire: 116,859 acres
Total Personnel: 1,234
Containment: Elk Fire: 30% | Lee Fire 6%
Cause: Lightning
Resources: 10 Aircraft | 29 Hand Crews | 63 Engines | 10 Heavy Equipment
Important Notes: The recording for the public meeting held in Rifle last night will be posted this morning on the Elk and Lee Fire Facebook page. Comments will be monitored and addressed throughout the day, so be sure to post your questions there. As containment increases on the Elk Fire, crews will relocate to reinforce firefighting efforts on the southern area of the Lee Fire. This will increase the presence of firefighters in the community of Rifle.
Important Notes: The recording for the public meeting held in Rifle last night will be posted this morning on the Elk and Lee Fire Facebook page. Comments will be monitored and addressed throughout the day, so be sure to post your questions there. As containment increases on the Elk Fire, crews will relocate to reinforce firefighting efforts on the southern area of the Lee Fire. This will increase the presence of firefighters in the community of Rifle.
Yesterday: Lee Fire – Firefighters continued reinforcing containment lines on the north side of the fire and along Highway 13. They also continued securing lines around structures and other values at risk. Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) flights were used overnight to identify heat along the Hogback Ridge. In the southern area of the fire, crews continued strategic firing operations to reduce fire threats to CR 5 and CR 3. Air tankers and helicopters assisted these efforts, focusing on slowing fire spread and supporting operations. Resources continue to be assigned to help support
firefighting efforts around the Lee Fire.
Elk Fire: Firefighters made progress securing fireline along County Road 8 on the south and in the Beaver Creek drainage on the east. Crews continued to mop-up and patrol to eliminate hotspots and reinforce containment lines. The fire will continue to burn inside the fire perimeter as it reaches pockets of unburned fuels. Firefighters working on structure protection continued to patrol and mop-up any hotspots to reinforce containment around structures and other values at risk.
Current Situation: Lee Fire – Minimal fire behavior is expected in the northern portions of the fire. The southern end remains the most active, with continued extreme fire behavior and high potential for fire spread. Firefighters will continue improving containment lines south of County Road 5 (Piceance Creek Road) and protecting values at risk in the area. Crews will also continue to monitor and improve containment lines west of Highway 13. Firefighters are working on building indirect lines east of the Hogback Ridge to keep the fire from moving further east in the event it was to get established east of Hwy 13. Use of air operations will continue as weather allows.
Elk Fire: Crews will continue reinforcing containment lines off County Road 8 and in the Beaver Creek area as they patrol and mop up any hotspots. Direct work will continue working south of the Beaver Creek drainage to fully secure fire in that area. An increase in containment on the Elk Fire is anticipated over the next two operational periods, with structure protection remaining in place.
Weather & Fire Behavior: Warm and dry conditions will continue today. Temperatures will range in the mid to upper 80’s as the relative humidity’s will range from 7-12 percent. Winds will generally be from the north and anticipated lighter than they have been over the past few days. Moderate smoke impacts are possible in Rifle
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/announcement/blm-colorado-issues-emergency-closure-public-lands-rio-blanco-county.
Elk and Lee Fire Information:
Phone: 970-341-8665
Email: 2025.elkrbx@firenet.gov
Facebook: www.facebook.com/elkleefire
Iniciweb Lee Fire: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/cowrd-lee-fire Inciweb Elk Fire: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/cowrd-elk-rbx-fire
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