August 22, 2025 – Issued for western Eagle and eastern Garfield counties by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Affected area: Western Eagle and eastern Garfield Counties. Locations include, but are not limited to Sweetwater Lake and Dotsero.
Advisory in effect: 9 a.m. MDT, Friday, August 22, 2025 to 9 a.m. MDT, Saturday, August 23, 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 the Derby Fire is impacting parts of central Colorado. The heaviest smoke is expected in areas near the fire and in low-lying areas during the overnight and early morning hours, including the Sweetwater Lake and Colorado River Road between Dotsero and Burns.
Location: 11 miles south of Meeker, Colorado Start Date: 08/02/2025 Cause: Lightning Size: Lee Fire: 137,755 acres | Elk Fire: 14,518 acres Containment: Lee Fire: 76% | Elk Fire: 100%
400 Total Personnel; 5 Helicopters; 21 Engines; 2 Hand Crews; 9 Water Tenders; 3 Dozers
KEY MESSAGE
Pronounced smoke columns will continue to be visible from both the Lee and Elk Fires. This lingering activity is confined well within the interior of both fires and poses no threat to containment lines. It is driven by the persistent hot, dry weather and will occur until significant precipitation. As these islands of unburned vegetation are consumed, it serves to strengthen containment lines by removing fuels thereby reducing spotting potential.
CURRENT STATUS
Lee Fire – Yesterday, resources completed chipping operations on the east flank and will continue along the southern edge of the fire. With the hot, dry and windy conditions testing containment lines yesterday, firefighters extended staffing hours to monitor and reinforce lines to prevent any spread. Today, aviation and ground crews will continue yesterday’s work of cooling down a hot spot along the fire’s edge and improving fire lines. Contingency work will resume on a fuel break adjacent to the fire’s southern edge.
Elk Fire – Resources have completed much of the planned suppression repair efforts and will continue with heavy machine operations until completion over the next few days.
WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR
A few showers will pass over the fire area this morning. More scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop in the afternoon, bringing chances of brief heavy rain, lightning and gusty winds. Additional showers and thunderstorms are expected this weekend with a significantly wetter period moving in the area late Sunday through Wednesday.
Equipo 1 de Gestión de Incidentes del Complejo de las Montañas Rocosas del Norte, Comandante de Incidentes Brent Olson
Ubicación: 11 millas al sur de Meeker, Colorado Fecha de inicio: 08/02/2025 Causa: Relámpago Tamaño: Lee Incendio: 137,755 acres | Incendio Elk: 14,518 acres Contención: Incendio Lee: 76% | Incendio Elk: 100% 400 Personal total; 21 camiones de bomberos; 5 helicópteros; 2 cuadrillas; 3 topadoras; 9 Licitaciones de agua
MENSAJE CLAVE Las columnas de humo pronunciadas seguirán siendo visibles desde los incendios Lee y Elk. Esta actividad persistente está confinada dentro del interior de ambos incendios y no representa una amenaza para las lÃneas de contención. Es impulsado por el clima cálido y seco persistente y ocurrirá hasta precipitaciones significativas. A medida que se consumen estas islas de vegetación no quemada, sirve para fortalecer las lÃneas de contención al eliminar los combustibles, lo que reduce el potencial de detección.
ESTADO ACTUAL: Incendio Lee – Ayer, los recursos completaron las operaciones de astillado en el flanco este y continuarán a lo largo del borde sur del incendio. Con las condiciones cálidas, secas y ventosas que pusieron a prueba las lÃneas de contención ayer, los bomberos extendieron las horas de personal para monitorear y reforzar las lÃneas para evitar cualquier propagación. Hoy, los equipos de aviación y tierra continuarán el trabajo de ayer de enfriar un punto caliente a lo largo del borde del incendio y mejorar las lÃneas de fuego. El trabajo de contingencia se reanudará en un descanso de combustible adyacente al borde sur del incendio.
Incendio Elk – Recursos ha completado gran parte de los esfuerzos de reparación de supresión planificados y continuará con las operaciones de maquinaria pesada hasta su finalización en los próximos dÃas.
CIERRES Y MENSAJES ESPECIALES Piceance Creek Road (CR 5) permanece cerrada. Para obtener información precisa y actualizada sobre evacuaciones y cierres de carreteras para el condado de RÃo Blanco, visite la página de Facebook de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de RÃo Blanco en: https://www.facebook.com/RioBlancoCountySheriffsOffice. Para obtener actualizaciones del condado de Garfield, visite: https://www.garfieldcounty.net/. La información sobre el cierre del Bosque Nacional White River está disponible en: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/whiteriver/alerts. La información sobre el cierre de la oficina de campo de BLM White River está disponible en: https://ow.ly/78uF50WGjNW.
Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management – Team 3
Total acreage: 3,569 acres with 0% containment 211 personnel/resources assigned Resources continue to arrive to the fire and will be beginning assignments today!
Superficie total: 3,569 acres con 0% de contención 211 personas/recursos asignados ¡ Los recursos continúan llegando al incendio y comenzarán sus asignaciones hoy!
Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 3
Here is the #DerbyFire briefing. We sincerely apologize for the delay, there were extreme technical difficulties we hope to have ironed out tomorrow.
Northern Rockies CIMT – Team 3 give an update on the current situation of the Derby Fire for August 21st, 2025.
Community meeting tonight
Please join us for a community meeting tonight at 6:30 pm at the Gypsum Town Hall, 50 Lundgren Blvd, Gypsum, CO. Spanish language translation will be available. We will try again with live streaming.
The Derby Incident Operations Section Chief and Incident Commander, as well as the Eagle County Sheriff, will provide an update on the current situation and operational strategies. Officials will be available for questions after the update.
Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 3
Please join us for a community meeting Friday, August 22, 2025 at 6:30 pm at the Gypsum Town Hall, 50 Lundgren Blvd, Gypsum, CO. Spanish language translation will be available. We will try again with live streaming.
The Derby Incident Operations Section Chief and Incident Commander, as well as the Eagle County Sheriff, will provide an update on the current situation and operational strategies. Officials will be available for questions after the update.
Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 3
Due to technology issues, we are unable to go Live with our briefing that was scheduled for 6:30 p.m. However, we are in the process of recording the full briefing from our fire experts and will have it posted to this channel as soon as possible.
If you have questions, you may type them in the comments once it’s posted, call our information line at 970-355-3283 or email us at 2025.derby@firenet.gov. We appreciate your patience and will continue working to get you up-to-date information.
