The Lee Fire grew to 120,650 acres Wednesday morning, an increase of nearly 4,000 acres since Tuesday, as hot, dry and windy conditions fueled active fire behavior in its southern portion. Containment dropped from 6% to 4%, but fire officials said the decrease was due to the fire’s expanding perimeter and not a loss of existing containment lines.

The nearby Elk Fire remained at 14,549 acres and increased to 75% containment. Both fires were sparked by lightning on Aug. 2 and are being fought by 1,284 personnel using 14 aircraft, 26 hand crews, 77 engines and 10 pieces of heavy equipment.

Operations section chief Jeremy Dietz with Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team 3 said crews on the southern edge of the Lee Fire (Division Romeo) are building primary and secondary containment lines along the Colorado Highway 13 corridor and using the road network to strengthen control.

“Fire activity is being proactive, moving into the X-ray area where we did our burnout the last couple days,” Dietz said. Division X-ray is near Zone 62 in Rio Blanco County. “We’re looking at some interior ignition to close up some of that box here that was holding good yesterday, as well as around the Greasewood area.”

In Division Mike, located near Zones 21 and 20 in Rio Blanco County, crews are working on options to tighten lines in the 78 area while using the 66 Road as another contingency. 

“Boots on the ground up there on (Division) Mike, things are looking successful,” Dietz said. “We’ll keep getting folks engaged, seeing if we can bring this in a little closer.”

The containment line in Division Oscar Papa, near Zones 30, 40 and 71 and the Meeker area, has improved, with crews maintaining a presence to secure structures and other values at risk. Along the southern part of Hogback Ridge and into Division Quebec, which is on the east side of Highway 13, firefighters are patrolling and checking structures, ensuring the fire stays west of the highway. Dietz said crews are also scouting secondary options along County Road 13 to be proactive if conditions change.

A structure protection group remains assigned to both the Lee and Elk fires, operating day, swing and night shifts for 24/7 coverage.

Dietz reported increased containment on the Elk Fire, with crews targeting interior heat and maintaining a presence around structures along County Road 8 and in the Beaver Creek drainage (Division Hotel). “The Cow Creek–Beaver Creek area is an area we’ve been really vigilant on, making sure we have folks in there,” he said, addint that interior heat remains in Division Alpha, where crews continue to work the line.

Fire managers expect containment on the Elk Fire to keep improving and are planning to shift resources from the Elk Fire to higher-priority areas on the Lee Fire as conditions allow.

Evacuation updates

As the Lee Fire reached the Garfield County line overnight, the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office announced new evacuation statuses Wednesday morning. Zone 81 is now under “Go” (red) status, meaning residents should evacuate immediately. Zone 85 is in “Set” (yellow) status, indicating residents should prepare for a short-notice evacuation. Zone 84 remains in “Ready” (green) status, meaning residents should monitor conditions and be prepared to leave.

Zones 81 and 85 are located on top of the Roan Plateau in an industrial landscape and Bureau of Land Management area already under closure, not in residential neighborhoods. Strategic planning includes multiple secondary and contingency lines between the fire’s edge and the southern boundary of the Roan Plateau.

Other Garfield County evacuation statuses remain unchanged. Zone 70 is under “Go” status, while Zones 71, 80 and 85 are in “Set” status. Zones 72, 73 and 84 remain in “Ready” status. In Garfield County, “Go” means residents should evacuate immediately because there is danger in the area. “Set” means a short-notice evacuation is likely, and residents should prepare for sudden evacuation and leave if they need extra time. “Ready” means a possible evacuation could be ordered, and residents should monitor conditions and pack valuables in case they need to leave.

In Rio Blanco County, “Go” orders are in place for Zones 65, 64, 63 and 22 in connection with the Lee Fire. For the Elk Fire, evacuation statuses have been downgraded for Zones 1, 8 and 9, which are now in “Ready” (green) status.

Residents can check their evacuation status at bit.ly/lee-fire-zones.