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Aspen Acres Fire Reaches 97,083 Acres and 28% Containment as Crews Expand Firelines
Description: The Aspen Acres Fire reached 97,083 acres and 28% containment on July 10, 2026. Crews expanded containment lines as evacuations and flood risks remain...
Aspen Acres Fire Update
Friday, July 10, 2026 – 8:00 a.m.
Alaska Complex Incident Management Team 1
Jake Livingston, Incident Commander
Size: 97,083 | Containment: 28% | Total Personnel: Approximately 1,900
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
Fire Update: Firefighters have made good progress with moderated weather conditions over the past few days. Containment increased on Friday to 28%; the containment line now extends from just north of Highway 78 to slightly west of Rye. There is also a segment of containment line on the north side of Beulah, as crews remain to continue protecting structures in the area.
Miles of new dozer line have been constructed in the past few days, particularly on the northwest, northeast, and southwest sides of the fire. Crews are tying together several segments of work over the past few days. The communities of Greenwood and Wetmore remain in evacuation status and the status will be reassessed as conditions have improved in the area. Freemont County has moved to pre-evacuation status.
Firing operations are reducing fuels between the dozer line and the main fire on the north side of the incident. Along the eastern edge near Even Road, firefighters continue work to check for hot spots within the edge of the fire perimeter. On the south side, crews continue to patrol communities and work to protect structures in the vicinity of Rye and Colorado City. Work also continues on the dozer line, handline, hose lays, and structure protection efforts near Highway 165. On the west side, substantial progress was made on constructing dozer line in the South Hardscrabble area and in the vicinity of Mingus Ranch. Crews continue to evaluate options for containment in the challenging terrain on the west side and safe routes for firefighters to work in that area.
Helicopters dropping bucket-loads of water cooled advancing segments of the fire on the west and southwest side of the fire on Thursday afternoon. Fire activity increased as temperatures warmed. Aircraft is scheduled to continue on the west side again on Friday. While good progress has been made, there are many challenging areas ahead. Additional weeks of work remain and crews are available to respond.
Weather: Scattered storms moved from east to west on Thursday, providing moisture on the northern portion of the fire. Even in areas that did not receive rain, clouds and increased humidity helped to dampen fire activity. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are again forecast for Friday, with potential for gusty outflow winds and heavy rain. A slight risk of flash flooding remains; a watch is in effect from noon until 8pm on Friday.
Fire Behavior: On Thursday afternoon fire activity increased on the west side in the vicinity of North Muddy Creek, south of Isabel and north of Rye. Conditions overnight moderated, aided by recent precipitation and higher relative humidity levels in much of the fire area. Conditions on Friday are forecast to be similar, with activity anticipated on the west side as temperatures warm.
Fire Restrictions & Closures: Stage 3 Fire Restrictions are in effect in Custer County and Stage 2 in Pueblo County, 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: Evacuations and pre-evacuations are in place across Custer, Pueblo, Fremont, and Huerfano Counties. 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:
Follow Pueblo County Sheriff's Office Facebook at Pueblo County Sheriff's Office and X: @PuebloCountySO https://x.com/PuebloCountySO
Follow Custer County Sheriff’s Office Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CCSOAdmin
Pueblo County Sheriff's Office Custer County Sheriff's Office Fremont County Sheriff's Office - Colorado Huerfano County Sheriff's Dept.
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