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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Access to the state system affected by the Lee Fire, Glenwood system is operational
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.
