Sheep Head Fire Reaches 1,281 Acres, 50% Containment in Huerfano County

Description: The Sheep Head Fire northwest of Walsenburg is 1,281 acres and 50% contained as crews work steep terrain, hot spots and containment lines under red flag conditions...

Sheep Head Fire Update

Friday, July 3, 2026 - 8 a.m.

Colorado Incident Management Team
Phil Daniels, Incident Commander

Size: 1,281 acres | Containment: 50% | Total Personnel: 104
Location: 22 Miles NW of Walsenburg, Colorado in Huerfano County
Reported: June 30, 2026, at 3:20 p.m.

Special Notes: The Colorado Type 3 Incident Management Team assumed management of the fire at 6:00 a.m. this morning. The Team is working closely with local, regional and national resources, who remain actively engaged in suppression efforts.

Current Situation: The fire is burning in grass, brush, and light timber in an area of rugged, steep drainages on the east side of Sheep Mountain. Low to moderate activity continues in unburned green islands in the interior. A Type 1 large helicopter and heavy equipment are being utilized in areas where they can assist hand crews in extending containment lines. Crews on both the south and west sides of the fire are cold trailing and extinguishing remaining hot spots. Bulldozers are being used to create a fuel break on the north side, and firefighters conducted a small burnout operation in that area to bring the fire down to an area where it will be safer for crews to engage directly. On the east side of the fire, the road system is being utilized as a holding feature to stop fire progression. The helicopter is targeting areas along the fire’s edge and dropping water on unburned green areas to cool and slow the fire’s progression.

Weather: Red flag warnings were in effect across the fire area on Thursday, with relative humidity recoveries of less than 30%, and 10-20 mph winds with gusts up to 40 mph. Red flag conditions are forecast once again from 10 am to midnight on Friday, with very poor overnight humidity recovery. Relative humidity values will range from 2-8% across much of the area on Friday.

Fire Behavior: The fire has been mainly wind- and terrain-driven. Upslope and updrainage fire activity has been common when wind and terrain align. Spotting and torching are occurring in very steep terrain within the interior, which has limited access for personnel and equipment. Fuels are drought-stressed and very dry.

Closures: A temporary flight restriction (TFR) is in effect in the airspace above the fire. Wildfires are always a no-fly zone for unauthorized aircraft, including drones. If you fly, we can’t. For more information, visit knowbeforeyoufly.org.

Fire Restrictions: Stage 2 Fire Restrictions are in effect in Huerfano County as of June 30, 2026. This includes the towns of Walsenburg, La Veta and Gardner.

Evacuations: A pre-evacuation notice is in place for areas north of the Big Sheep Fire to Highway 69 due to smoke. Stay informed and sign up for Huerfano County emergency alerts at: https://huerfano.us/hcnotify-sign-up/.

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