Smoke, Flames, & Hope: Colorado’s Latest Fire Updates and Park Reopening

We're just past the halfway point in August, and Western Colorado's wildfires continue to burn, keeping residents on edge while taxing our manpower and resources. While wildland firefighters and first responders are making progress, lots of work remains.

The Massive Lee Fire continues to be pushed around whenever the winds pick up, while signs of containment increase around the Elk Fire to the East. Keep reading to check out the latest updates and for some good news from Montrose about the South Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

Lee Fire: Record-Breaking Spread & Containment Status

Read More: This Is the Highest Point in Montrose County, Colorado

Click here to see a more in-depth version of the map from the Inciweb wildfire site. We show it here to demonstrate the containment line. The Lee Fire (left) has burned 137,755 acres so far and is 68% contained. The Elk Fire (right) has burned 14,518 acres and is 100% contained.

Between the two wildfires, there are more than one thousand personnel on the ground (and in our prayers), 5 aircraft, 9 hand crews, 39 engines, and 22 pieces of heavy equipment. Incredibly, this fire became the fifth-largest in Colorado history in a matter of days, with red-flag winds helping push the fire over nearly 140,000 acres since August 2nd.

Lee Fire Threatens Communities, Meeker on Alert

The Lee Fire, fueled by high winds over the last ten days, has raced south along Highway 13 towards Rifle, nearing populated areas. Firefighters have worked incredibly hard to keep the fire from crossing the highway and threatening the community of Meeker, which just welcomed children back to school this week. As the fires got bigger, Governor Polis issued a statewide disaster emergency, activating the National Guard and releasing $2.5 million for wildfire response.

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South Rim Reopens: A Bright Spot Amid Fire Season

On July 30, the National Park Service announced the reopening of the North Rim portion of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. On August 18th, the park announced the reopening of the South Rim portion of the park.

Visitors can witness the raw power of nature by viewing the burned areas of the park, as well as areas that survived the fire, such as the visitor center and park store (open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.), Tomichi and Gunnison Points, and portions of the Rim Rock trail. Red Rock Canyon wilderness will reopen for reservation-holders.