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Wildfire near Denver forces evacuation of thousands and destroys more than 160 structures
AP News • • general
Key Points:
- The Aspen Acres wildfire southwest of Denver has forced evacuations of thousands and destroyed over 160 structures, expanding to 115 square miles with no containment as erratic winds spread the fire across two Colorado counties.
- Entire communities including Colorado City, Beulah, Rye, and San Isabel have been evacuated, with about 50 National Guard soldiers deployed to assist with road checkpoints and water-scooping operations.
- The fire is part of roughly 40 large, uncontained wildfires burning mainly in the Western U.S., driven by prolonged dry conditions and record low snowpack this past winter.
- Firefighters are using water from Pueblo Reservoir to combat the Aspen Acres fire, while other fires like the Snyder Fire on the Colorado/Utah border have reached partial containment after fatal incidents involving fire crews.
- Large wildfires continue in Utah as well, with the Cottonwood fire growing to 147 square miles and the Babylon fire reaching 133 square miles by Friday.
