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Aspen Acres wildfire southwest of Denver forces thousands to evacuate and destroys more than 160 structures
PBS • • nation
Key Points:
- The Aspen Acres wildfire southwest of Denver has forced evacuations of thousands and destroyed over 160 structures, expanding to nearly 105 square miles with no containment as of Friday.
- The fire has prompted mandatory evacuations in Colorado City, Beulah, Rye, and San Isabel, affecting communities in Pueblo and Custer counties.
- Approximately 50 National Guard soldiers were deployed to assist with road checkpoints and support State Park Rangers in managing water-scooping operations from Pueblo Reservoir.
- The Aspen Acres fire is among about 40 large, uncontained wildfires burning across the Western U.S., driven by dry conditions and low snowfall this past winter.
- Meanwhile, other significant fires include the Snyder Fire on the Colorado-Utah border, which is 65% contained after killing three Helitack firefighters, and large blazes in Utah such as the Cottonwood and Babylon fires, covering over 147 and 133 square miles respectively.
