Wildfires Blaze Across Colorado as Peak Fire Season Begins
The Aspen Acres Fire in Colorado has burned nearly 91,000 acres so far, making it the seventh largest wildfire on record in the U.S. state.
The fire was first reported on 29 June. Officials confirmed the fire was human-caused, although they have not given any additional details about the ongoing investigation into how the blaze was ignited.
Officials issued new mandatory evacuation orders on 5 July as the fire continued to spread. Thousands of people remain under evacuation orders or pre-evacuation warnings across multiple counties. As of Monday morning, the fire is only 12 percent contained. More than 1,300 personnel are fighting the fire, led by the specialized Alaska Complex Incident Management Team, officials said. The team is deployed to respond to large, complex wildfires that exceed local capacity.
On 4 July, Pueblo County officials estimated that the fire had destroyed more than 200 homes, but damage assessment teams are delayed because of the danger from the active wildfire, The Denver Post reported.
Incident commanders anticipate some isolated thunderstorms today. While the rain is welcome, gusty winds and lightning are not—they could spark or spread fire further. Vegetation in the area remains extremely dry, fueling the fires.
The Aspen Acres fire is not the only blaze Colorado is dealing with right now. The Ferris Fire in southwest Colorado has grown to more than 42,00 acres, and the Gold Mountain Fire has grown to more than 25,000 acres, NPR reported. In southern Utah, the Babylon Fire has grown to more than 90,000 acres.
The United States is facing significant wildfire potential this summer, according to the National Interagency Fire Center’s monthly forecast. While the typical U.S. wildfire season stretches from May through November, most fires occur in the summer months.
Fire activity increased notably in the second half of June, especially in the Great Basin, Rocky Mountain, and Southwest areas. As of 30 June, more than 3 million acres have burned across the country—a 157 percent increase over the previous 10-year average.
Precipitation was below normal across most of the West last month, and 53 percent of the United States remains in drought conditions.
Temperatures are likely to be above normal across most of the nation for July through October, the forecast said. Based on current conditions, above-normal fire potential is forecast across much of the Greater Four Corners (where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah all meet) this month, as well as much of the Great Basin, Northwest, and northeast California.
Earlier this year, AccuWeather projected that 5.5 to 8 million acres will burn in wildfires in the United States this year, driven by drought, extreme heat, wind, and dry vegetation. While the total number of fires may be lower than in 2025, AccuWeather’s meteorologists warned that this year’s fires will likely spread faster, grow larger, and become more destructive.
Updates on the Aspen Acres Fire are available regularly on a dedicated Facebook page.
