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Aspen Acres Fire Reaches 98,609 Acres, 36% Contained as Beulah and Wetmore Re-Entry Begins
Description: The Aspen Acres Fire reached 98,609 acres and 36% containment on July 13 as phased re-entry began in Beulah and Wetmore and crews defended Rye...
Aspen Acres Fire Update
Monday, July 13, 2026 – 8:00 a.m.
Alaska Complex Incident Management Team 1
Jake Livingston, Incident Commander
Size: 98,609 | Containment: 36% | Total Personnel: Approximately 1,915
Location: 10 Miles NW of Rye, CO in Custer and Pueblo Counties
Reported: June 29, 2026, at 6:00 a.m. | Cause: Human, Under Investigation
Fire Information Phone Line: 719.697.8353 | Email: 2026.aspenacres@firenet.gov
Community Meeting: A community meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 14, at 7 p.m. at Centennial High School, 2525 Mountainview Drive in Pueblo. The meeting will also be broadcast live on Facebook and YouTube.
Fire Update: Firing operations were conducted throughout both day and night shifts on Sunday between the constructed line and the wildfire near Mingus Ranch, removing fuels in advance of the fire moving to the west. This operation is expected to continue on Monday. Firefighters on the ground are supported by aircraft to keep fire in check, as conditions allow.
Heavy equipment and crews are constructing a robust fire line on the west side of Rye to defend the community from an active fire area near North Muddy Creek. More personnel and equipment are also moving towards an area of high heat near Saint Charles Peak, working from Forest Roads 360 and 369. They are scouting for potential locations for fireline construction and assessing structure protection needs in the area.
Although most of the east side of the fire is in containment status, a challenging area remains uncontained on the northeast side. Pockets of heat smoldering in the ground threaten to ignite highly flammable juniper trees. Crews are vigilantly monitoring these areas and extinguishing heat as it is detected, using infared dones to help locate areas that need the most attention. Containment lines are expected to be tested by hot, dry conditions forecast this week. Crews continue to patrol perimeters, extinguish hot spots, and protect structures.
Team Transition: Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team #6 will be replacing the Alaska Team #1. The transition has already begun with conversations between the Teams taking place over the past several days. As usual in team transitions, the Northern Rockies Team will in-brief on Monday. Tuesday will be a shadow day, where the new team observes all functions of the current team's operations. On Wednesday, Northern Rockies Team #6 will assume command of the Aspen Acres Fire.
Landowner Contacts: If you would like to contact us to grant permission to access private properties to the west of Rye, please send an email to: 2026.aspenacres@firenet.gov. Please include the landowner name, property address, contact phone, and a brief note of any access considerations, such as locked gates or hazardous materials on the property. If you have already called, left a voicemail, or sent email, we have compiled that information. Thank you for your overwhelming support.
Weather: A high pressure system is forecast to remain in the region this week, bringing hot, dry, and windy conditions. The wind pattern is expected to be from the east or east-southeast throughout the week. A chance of afternoon thunderstorms persists.
Fire Behavior: As temperatures and winds increase in the afternoon, fire activity is again expected to increase on the west side of the fire. Fuels remain extremely receptive to fire.
Fire Restrictions & Closures: There is an Aspen Acres Fire Area Closure for the San Carlos Ranger District. Visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/psicc/alerts/aspen-acres-fire-area-closure. Please monitor land managing agencies for other fire restrictions.
Evacuations: All evacuations are managed by the respective county sheriffs. Custer, Pueblo, Fremont, and Huerfano Counties have evacuations and pre-evacuations in place.
The phased re-entry plan for Beulah residents is beginning Monday, July 13. Residents are asked to follow their assigned re-entry time and route and not arrive before their designated time.Residents must obtain a re-entry card from the Disaster Assistance Center (DAC), located at 29 Lehigh Ave. in Pueblo. The DAC is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
In Custer County, a phased re-entry will begin at 9 a.m. for residents of Wetmore. Sheriff Smith indicated a re-entry card would not be required, but identification is needed. For access, Highway 96 from Siloam Road in Pueblo County will open Monday morning at 9 a.m. to County Road 395 (between Wetmore and Greenwood), or approximately mile marker 24.5 on Highway 96. It will remain closed from CR 395 to Mackenzie Junction. Highway 67 from Wetmore to Florence will be completely open at 9 a.m. For Custer County re-entry questions, call 719-467-0271.
Please call the Joint Information Center (JIC) at 719-583-4640 for information about closures, evacuations, Disaster Assistance Center (DAC) information, and more for Pueblo and Custer Counties. Huerfano and Fremont County residents should visit their county's social media pages or call 719-738-1044 for Huerfano County dispatch and 719-276-7421 for the Fremont County Emergency Operations Center.
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.
Air Quality: An Air Resource Advisor is assigned to the incident and assessing where communities may be impacted by smoke. To get daily air quality information, visit https://fire.airnow.gov/
The public and members of the media should monitor the following official websites:
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