Colorado wildfires: At least 5 homes, 19 outbuildings destroyed in Western Slope fires

Together, five wildfires burning on Colorado's Western Slope have consumed hundreds of square miles, destroying at least five homes and 19 outbuildings, fire officials said.

At least five homes and 14 outbuildings have been destroyed by wildfires burning on either side of Meeker in Rio Blanco County, sheriff’s officials said.

Together, the Elk and Lee fires have consumed more than 137,000 acres, equal to roughly 215 square miles, and forced evacuations across two Colorado counties.

Three other wildfires burning in western Colorado had charred nearly another 9,000 acres as of Wednesday evening. Mandatory evacuations remain in place for the Stoner Mesa fire in Dolores County and the Crosho fire in Rio Blanco County.

Evacuation orders were lifted at noon Wednesday for the Oak fire in Archuleta County, which has destroyed at least five outbuildings.

Jump to: Lee and Elk fires | Oak fire | Stoner Mesa fire | Crosho fire | Statewide impacts

The 123,222-acre Lee fire burning in Rio Blanco County had destroyed three homes and 12 outbuildings as of Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. (Photo provided by Elk and Lee Fire Information)

The 123,222-acre Lee fire burning in Rio Blanco County had destroyed three homes and 12 outbuildings as of Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. (Photo provided by Elk and Lee Fire Information)

The Lee and Elk fires near Meeker

Colorado’s fifth-largest wildfire on record, the Lee fire, has consumed more than 120,000 acres and forced evacuations in both Rio Blanco and Garfield counties as it continues to spread, fire officials said Wednesday.

Containment on the 123,222-acre wildfire dropped to 4% Wednesday as the flames pushed south to the border of Rio Blanco and Garfield counties for the first time, evacuating people living near the border.

The percentage dropped because of the fire’s increased size, not because the fire crossed containment lines, fire officials said.

The Lee fire, fueled by persistent dry, hot and windy conditions, grew by more than 3,000 acres on Wednesday.

Firefighters have created fire lines along Colorado 13 and are working to hold them, fire officials said Wednesday. To the south, crews are hoping to use roads, trails and other natural features to halt the Lee fire’s flames.

East of Meeker, the Elk fire is burning on 14,549 acres and is 75% contained. The wildfire has grown about 300 acres in the last week.

The Lee fire has destroyed three homes and 12 outbuildings, while the Elk fire has destroyed two homes and two outbuildings, Rio Blanco County Sheriff Anthony Mazzola said Tuesday.

What does it mean when a wildfire is “contained”? A look at how containment is determined.

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A red flag warning will be in effect from noon to 10 p.m. on Thursday for much of western Colorado, including Meeker, according to the National Weather Service.

Gusty winds up to 25 mph, relative humidities as low as 9% and hot temperatures could fuel rapid fire growth, according to the warning.

"Any fire that develops will catch and spread quickly," weather service forecasters stated. "Outdoor burning is not recommended."

Ongoing evacuations include a stretch of Colorado 64 north of the fire, areas along Colorado 13 east of the fire from Colorado 64 to Monument Peak and multiple zones along the fire's southern edge.

Pre-evacuation orders are active for areas including near and along Big Beaver Creek, the Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway, Red Canyon, Jordan Gulch, Colorado 64, Harris Gulch, the Grand Hogback, Ward Gulch and East Middle Fork Parachute Creek.

Updated evacuation and pre-evacuation orders for Rio Blanco and Garfield counties are available online.

Hotspots of the Oak fire burn near Pagosa Springs in Archuleta County on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. (Photo courtesy of the Archuleta County Sheriff's Office)

Hotspots of the Oak fire burn near Pagosa Springs in Archuleta County on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. (Photo courtesy of the Archuleta County Sheriff's Office)

The Oak fire, near Pagosa Springs

Evacuations lifted at noon on Wednesday for the 75-acre Oak fire burning near Pagosa Springs, according to the Archuleta County Sheriff's Office.

The fire sparked Sunday afternoon and evacuated two subdivisions. It also put a large section of Pagosa Springs on pre-evacuation status, sheriff's officials said.

Residents will need to provide identification or proof of address at checkpoints to access areas that were under mandatory evacuation orders, sheriff's officials said.

The Oak fire was 47% contained as of Tuesday evening, sheriff's officials said.

The wildfire threatened more than 5,100 buildings and 2,000 homes, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Sheriff's officials said the wildfire damaged a small barn, one pump house, one pergola, one carport and a camper trailer, but no homes. The department has not updated the damage reported since Monday.

The Stoner Mesa fire in Dolores County evacuated part of the San Juan National Forest and had burned more than 7,000 acres as of Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2025. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service)

The Stoner Mesa fire in Dolores County evacuated part of the San Juan National Forest and had burned more than 7,000 acres as of Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2025. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service)

The Stoner Mesa fire, near Dolores

A wildfire burning in southwestern Colorado's San Juan National Forest has charred more than 7,000 acres, fire officials said Wednesday.

The Stoner Mesa fire, which started last week about 20 miles northeast of Dolores, was last mapped at 7,123 acres with no containment, up from 3,578 acres on Monday, according to a Wednesday update from fire officials.

Shifting winds and drought conditions have contributed to the fire's growth, officials said.

The nearby town of Rico remains on pre-evacuation status, and parts of the national forest are closed to the public because of the fire.

The Crosho fire sends a plume of smoke west of Yampa in northwest Colorado. The fire was discovered in the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests in northeast Rio Blanco County on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. (Photo by John F. Russell/Steamboat Pilot & Today)

The Crosho fire sends a plume of smoke west of Yampa in northwest Colorado. The fire was discovered in the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests in northeast Rio Blanco County on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. (Photo by John F. Russell/Steamboat Pilot & Today)

Crosho fire near Yampa

A third wildfire burning in Rio Blanco County, northeast of the Elk and Lee fires, tripled in size on Wednesday.

The Crosho fire sparked in the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests on Monday and had grown to roughly 1,700 acres by Wednesday. It was mapped at 500 acres on Tuesday night.

The wildfire forced mandatory evacuations as it burned east, across the border of Routt County, officials said.

People living east of Crosho Lake to Routt County Road 17 should leave immediately, county officials said. The evacuation zone includes Heart Mountain and stretches of County Road 13 and County Road 15. County fire crews are focused on protecting buildings threatened by the fire, officials said Wednesday.

Updated Routt County evacuation maps are available online.

The wildfire was discovered Monday at Crosho Lake, about 8 miles west of Yampa. The cause of the fire is unknown.

Statewide impacts

The heaviest smoke will be in the areas closest to the fires, especially overnight and in the early morning, state health officials said.

Residents should consider limiting their time outdoors, especially young children, older adults and those with heart disease or respiratory illnesses, according to air quality advisories issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

The current advisories were issued on Wednesday morning and are set to expire at 9 a.m. Thursday.

If visibility drops to less than 5 miles, the smoke has reached unhealthy levels.


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