The lightning-caused Lee fire burning on Colorado’s Western Slope near Meeker continued to grow under strong winds and has now scorched more than 60,000 acres, fire officials said Thursday morning.
After a spot fire spread Thursday into the Colorado 64 corridor west of Meeker, firefighters stopped the flames from making a run across the highway, officials with the Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team said. Hotshot crews made progress creating a fireline along the Grand Hogback, a ridgeline on the east side of the fire.
The fire continued to grow southward, pushing against the wind, officials said. On Friday, crews will continue to strengthen the fireline and prepare for shifting winds in the next few days.
The Colorado National Guard will be using two Type 1 helicopters, which can typically carry 700 gallons of water or retardant. Pilots work with crews on the ground to make strategic drops on the flames.
As of Friday, 528 people were working to gain control of the two fires, which have no level of containment. On Thursday, Gov. Jared Polis activated the National Guard to bring in more resources.
The Elk fire, burning east of Meeker, saw minimal growth Thursday. It is estimated at 14,256 acres. Crews made progress strengthening the fire line on the western and southern side of the fire, officials said.
Red flag conditions are expected through at least Saturday, “peaking in intensity” Friday, officials said. Temperatures are forecast in the 80s, relative humidity will be as low at 6% and primary west winds will be 15-25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph.
“Extreme fire behavior is expected to continue, especially in the afternoon potentially causing large fire growth,” fire officials said.
The town of Meeker is still under a pre-evacuation notice, and officials have warned residents to be ready to leave if the fire continues to spread. The latest evacuation orders can be found on the Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook page.
Gov. Jared Polis signed an executive order Friday, memorializing a previous emergency declaration he made in July for dangerous fire conditions on the Western Slope.
More than 20 lightning-caused wildfires sparked after a July 10 storm and burned across dry fuels in western Colorado.
The fires included the South Rim and Deer Creek fires in Montrose County and the Turner Gulch fire in Mesa County. All three fires are still burning, though firefighters have made progress in containing them. As of Friday, the South Rim fire in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park was 52% contained, the Turner Gulch was 49% contained and the Deer Creek fire, burning in Utah and Colorado, was 97% contained.
Polis’ executive order activates the state emergency operation plan, which directs state agencies to seek all available federal funding to fight the fire and for recovery operations.