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Aspen Acres Fire Makes Major Overnight Runs, Impacts Colorado City as Red Flag Warning Continues


Description: The Aspen Acres Fire grew by more than 11,000 acres overnight, reaching Bondurant Road and impacting Colorado City as crews prepare for another day of extreme fire behavior...

Aspen Acres Fire Update

Thursday, July 3, 2026 – 8:00 a.m.

Alaska Complex Incident Management Team 1
Jake Livingston, Incident Commander
 
Fire Information Phone Line: 719.697.8353
Email: 2026.aspenacres@firenet.gov
 
Information Presentation: Friday evening the Alaska Team will broadcast a live update concerning the fire at 6:30 pm. The public will be able to submit questions in the chat during the presentation. It will be recorded and available on the fire’s Facebook page where questions can continue to be submitted and answered. Find the presentation at: www.facebook.com/AspenAcresFire2026
 
Fire Update: The fire exhibited extreme fire behavior overnight Thursday and into Friday morning, growing over 11,000 acres. Pushed by strong overnight winds, the fire made an eight-mile run to the south, a four-to-five-mile run to the north and grew one mile to the west. The southern movement reached Bondurant Road, made a run up Table Mountain and is flanking to the southeast. The fire impacted Colorado City. Structure protection crews are working ahead of the fire to prepare home sites as the fire advances. Firefighters working along Siloam Road defended structures and used tactics to move the fire around structures as the fire crossed the road in the early morning hours.
 
During the day shift on Thursday, firefighters and structure protection crews continued to work in Beulah mopping up burned areas, extinguishing hot spots and strengthening defenses for the community. Two multi-engine water scooping aircraft were assigned to the incident Thursday. They started to work
dropping water on the southern flank where the fire has been backing into the wind toward San Isabel Lake, Rye, and Colorado City. These aircraft are scooping from Pueblo Reservoir. Colorado State Park Rangers will have a portion of the lake marked as off-limits to boaters to allow for safe water scooping operations. Boaters enjoying the lake over the holiday weekend are asked to avoid the area where the aircraft are working. The operations area will change as the wind direction changes. Please be aware of changing conditions. Interfering with operations will cause the aircraft to stop their suppression efforts. There is not another suitable body of water nearby for these aircraft to work out of.
 
National Guard soldiers are expected to arrive on Friday. A majority of the 50 guard members will replace sheriff deputies that have been staffing checkpoints on multiple roads that are closed in both Custer and Pueblo counties. This will allow for the deputies to return to their regular duties and increase their
patrols of evacuated areas. Guard members will assist State Park Rangers as they bring on additional boats to keep boaters clear of water scooping operations.
 
Weather: A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM TO 12 AM MDT FRIDAY. Friday’s weather will be very similar to the previous days, but with hotter temperatures. Southwesterly winds will continue but slightly less with sustained winds of 5-15 mph, 25 mph gusts in the valleys and 35 mph gusts on the
ridges. Relative Humidity will remain in the single digits making for another active fire day.
 
Fire Behavior: Extreme fire is expected again on Friday with possible crown runs and group tree torching. Live trees, brush and shrubs are drought stressed and very dry.
 
Fire Restrictions: Stage 2 Fire Restrictions are in effect in Custer and Pueblo Counties, as well as on the Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands. There is an Aspen Acres Fire Area Closure for the San Carlos Ranger District. Visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/.../aspen-acres-fire-area-closure
 
Evacuations: Please call the Joint Information Center (JIC) at 719-583-4640 for closures, evacuations, Disaster Assistance Center (DAC) information and more.
 
There is a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) in place above the fire area. Flying any aircraft within the TFR is prohibited. This includes the use of drones, or unmanned aerial systems.
 
The public and members of the media should monitor the following official websites:
 
 
Follow Pueblo County Sheriff's Office Facebook at www.facebook.com/PuebloSheriff and X:
 
Follow Custer County Sheriff’s Office Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CCSOAdmin



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