The Trump administration has officially approved federal Public Assistance for Colorado communities severely impacted by this summer’s Aspen Acres and Gold Mountain fires.

The Aspen Acres fire, which ignited on June 29 in Custer County, rapidly became the state’s seventh-largest wildfire, scorching over 102,000 acres. The blaze destroyed close to 900 buildings, including over 319 homes across Pueblo and Custer counties. Meanwhile, the Gold Mountain fire near Ouray burned over 39,500 acres, isolating mountain communities and causing destructive debris flows that repeatedly closed portions of U.S. 550.

Combined, the two disasters caused an estimated $18.6 million in damage to public infrastructure, with Aspen Acres accounting for $17.2 million. The approved federal funds will assist local governments, utilities, and specific nonprofits in covering the costs of debris removal and critical repairs to roads, water systems, and electricity grids.

While public infrastructure funding is secured, Colorado’s Individual Assistance requests—which would provide direct relief to affected homeowners—remain under federal review. Colorado Governor Jared Polis praised the bipartisan effort to secure the aid, noting that recovering from disasters of this scale requires substantial federal support.