As Colorado’s wildfire season intensifies, the Lee Fire has surged past 137,000 acres, officially becoming the fifth-largest wildfire in state history. Sparked by lightning on August 2 and fueled by persistent drought and erratic winds, the blaze continues to challenge containment efforts across Rio Blanco and Garfield Counties.

Lee Fire – Western Slope
– Size: 137,465 acres 
– Containment: 42% 
– Start Date: August 2 
– Cause: Lightning 
– Location: North of Rifle, extending toward Meeker and the Roan Plateau 
– Evacuations: Mandatory orders remain in effect for areas near County Road 5 and the outskirts of Rifle. Garfield County officials have downgraded some zones to pre-evacuation status, but residents are urged to remain alert. 
– Infrastructure Impact: 
  – Highway 13: Reopened Sunday with limited access and pilot car escorts 
  – Power Outages: Temporary outages reported in rural Garfield County due to damaged transmission lines 
  – Structures Threatened: Over 200 homes remain under threat; fire crews are conducting structure protection and burnout operations

Firefighting Efforts
More than 1,100 personnel are actively engaged in suppression, supported by:
– 12 helicopters
– 6 air tankers
– 50 engines
– Multiple dozers and hand crews

Crews are focusing on reinforcing containment lines along the southern and eastern flanks, where steep terrain and dry fuels have complicated progress. Night operations have been critical in slowing the fire’s advance toward populated areas.

Smoke Forecast & Air Quality

Colorado’s Front Range and Western Slope continue to experience degraded air quality due to wildfire smoke. The chart below shows PM2.5 and Ozone AQI levels across nine affected counties:

Colorado Smoke Forecast Chart

PM2.5 AQI: Moderate (63–68) – may cause respiratory symptoms in sensitive individuals 
Ozone AQI: Good to Moderate (47–50) – generally acceptable, but caution advised for outdoor exertion.
Counties Affected: Douglas, Jefferson, Denver, Arapahoe (W), Adams (W), Broomfield, Boulder, Larimer, Weld  Visibility: Reduced to under 2 miles in some valleys 
Advisory: CDPHE has issued a wildfire smoke health advisory for the Front Range

Other Active Fires
Crosho Fire – Routt County
– Size: ~1,975 acres 
– Containment: Ongoing 
– Status: Growing in all directions; evacuations issued near Crosho Lake and Routt National Forest 
– Challenges: Dense beetle-killed timber and limited access roads

Elk Fire – Rio Blanco County
– Size: 14,518 acres 
– Containment: 100% 
– Status: Fully contained as of Sunday 
– Current Focus: Suppression repair and erosion control

State & Federal Response
Governor Jared Polis has declared a statewide disaster emergency, activating the Colorado National Guard and enabling access to federal disaster relief funds. 
FEMA has approved Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAGs) 
U.S. Forest Service and BLM teams are coordinating with state agencies to manage interagency resources

Historical Context
The Lee Fire now ranks behind only the Hayman (2002), Cameron Peak (2020), East Troublesome (2020), and Pine Gulch (2020) fires in terms of acreage. With containment still under 50%, it may surpass Pine Gulch’s 139,000-acre footprint if conditions worsen.

Community Resources
– Evacuation Maps & Alerts: Garfield County Emergency Management 
– Air Quality Index: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment 
– Wildfire Updates: Coloradoan Smoke & Fire Map

The Rocky Mountain Dispatch will continue monitoring fire behavior, containment progress, and community impact. For readers who missed last week’s coverage on the Elk and other fires, those reports remain available in our archives.

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