The Elk and Lee fires burning in Rio Blanco County have scorched more than 120,000 combined acres, with the larger Lee Fire prompting Garfield County’s first mandatory evacuation order and the relocation of all inmates from Rifle Correctional Center.

As of Sunday morning, the Lee Fire — burning west of Meeker — had grown to 106,672 acres and was 6% contained, according to Jeremy Dietz, operations section chief for Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team 3. The Elk Fire, east of Meeker, stood at 14,635 acres and 9% containment, up from 8% Saturday.

More than 1,000 personnel are battling the two fires, supported by 14 aircraft, 23 hand crews, 51 engines and six pieces of heavy equipment.

Rifle Correctional Center evacuated

The Colorado Department of Corrections announced Sunday that all 179 incarcerated individuals at Rifle Correctional Center were evacuated late Saturday night out of caution due to the Lee Fire.

The transfer to Buena Vista Correctional Complex was completed without injury, officials said. Staff remain at the Rifle facility to work with state and local emergency management agencies on pre-evacuation measures.

Evacuation zones in Garfield County

At about 3 p.m. Saturday, Garfield County Sheriff’s officials upgraded Zone 70, northwest of Rifle near Monument Park, to “Go” status, ordering residents to evacuate immediately. It remains the only zone in the county under a mandatory evacuation.

On Sunday afternoon, Zones 72 and 73 — near Harvey Gap Reservoir just north of Stephens Hill Road — were placed in “Ready” status, meaning residents should prepare for possible evacuation, monitor fire activity and pack valuables.

Zones 71, 80 and 81 in northern Rifle remain under “Set” status, where residents should be prepared to leave quickly if conditions worsen.

Evacuation zone maps are available at https://tinyurl.com/nxmx65hj.

The Parachute Rodeo Grounds, 100 La Plata Circle, is open to house livestock in the event of an evacuation. Owners are encouraged to arrange transportation, prepare leads and halters, and bring water, feed and medications.

Fire behavior and conditions

Dietz said “near-critical” fire conditions are expected to return Sunday, with low humidity, gusty northwest winds and no cloud cover — a combination that could drive “extreme” behavior in parts of the Lee Fire.

Dry, hot weather under a Red Flag warning on Saturday fueled “more extreme fire behavior” in the Lee Fire, he said. As the fire pushed south, crews worked to catch spot fires and protect threatened homes.

“Firefighters on the west side of the fire were successful with strategic firing operations along the U.S. 13 corridor to continue reinforcing the line,” Dietz said. “Firefighters in the north and northeast side of the fire were successful in strengthening firelines and building confidence in the holdings that were put in.”

The main objective remains keeping the Lee Fire west of U.S. 13 and north of Rio Blanco County Road 5 — a challenge under current conditions, he said.

The Elk Fire saw calmer activity Saturday due to some cloud cover, allowing firefighters to strengthen containment lines along Rio Blanco County Road 8. Crews are continuing mop-up and structure protection, with resources gradually shifting toward the much larger Lee Fire.

Air quality concerns

Smoke from the fires has also reached Garfield County. As of 1:40 p.m. Sunday, Glenwood Springs recorded an air quality index of 192, according to PurpleAir, meaning some members of the general public may experience health effects after prolonged exposure. Sensitive groups may face more serious risks. Silt recorded an air quality index of 256, meaning The risk of health effects is increased for everyone with 24 hours of exposure.

The Post Independent will continue to update this story.