.png)
Aspen Acres Fire Grows to 99,077 Acres as Crews Defend Rye and Containment Holds at 36%
Description: The Aspen Acres Fire reached 99,077 acres on July 14 with 36% containment as crews completed firing operations, strengthened defenses near Rye and continued resident re-entry...
Aspen Acres Fire Update
Tuesday, July 14, 2026 – 8:00 a.m.
Alaska Complex Incident Management Team 1
Jake Livingston, Incident Commander
Size: 99,077 | Containment: 36% | Total Personnel: Approximately 1,872
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 Mountview Drive in Pueblo. The meeting will also be broadcast live on Facebook and YouTube.
Fire Update: Multiple firefighting operations were in progress on the west side of the fire on Monday. Conditions were favorable to continue firing operations on both day and night shifts, removing fuels between the constructed line and the wildfire near Mingus Ranch. Firefighters were supported by aerial resources to keep the applied fire in check. Firing operations finished very early in the morning on Tuesday and several days of mop-up work, extinguishing remaining hot spots, and monitoring will follow. This is a critical piece of work towards achieving containment in that area.
Fire behavior also increased near Saint Charles Peak on the west side of the fire. Firefighting aircraft helped to minimize fire growth and suppress spot fires. The night shift reported no heat in the spot fires as of Tuesday morning. Air operations will continue Tuesday, if conditions allow. Crews and equipment are actively working along Forest Roads 360 and 369 clearing vegetation, constructing fireline, and assessing structure protection needs in the area.
North Muddy Creek is also an area of high fire activity, only about 2 miles northwest of Rye. Firefighters are aggressively constructing defensive lines between the fire and communities. The structure protection group is assessing and mitigating threats to properties in the Rye area and all along the west side of the fire, including San Isabel and other communities to the north and west.
Fire activity is low on the northeast side, but it remains a lurking threat. Although the dispersed pockets of heat smoldering in the ground are not an immediate threat to structures, the potential remains to ignite highly flammable juniper trees near a populated area.
Residents are beginning to return to their homes on Tuesday, while firefighters continue to work in the area to reduce the threat of fire growth. They will be running chainsaws to remove brush and lower tree limbs, working with hand tools, using engines, pumps, and water to cool smoldering hot spots. Watch for firefighters working in the areas of Savage Road, Even Road, Ponderosa Pine Drive, San Isabel Drive, Siloam Road, and others in this area. Please drive carefully, yield to firefighting traffic, and give room to crews working alongside roads and communities.
Team Transition: On Wednesday at 6 a.m. the Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team #6 will assume command of the Aspen Acres Fire. The transition with Alaska Team #1 is well underway. As usual in team transitions, the Northern Rockies Team will observe all functions of the current team's operations to facilitate a smooth transition.
Weather: A high pressure system is holding in the region on Tuesday, 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. The National Forest Lands are closed and are also in evacuation status.
Evacuations: All evacuations are managed by the respective county sheriffs. Monitor county social media pages or call county contacts for more information
.
Sheriff Cooper has removed the pre-evacuation status in Fremont County. An Awareness status is in place for the county, encouraging residents to stay informed, monitor official updates, and remain prepared.
In Pueblo County, Beulah residents began returning on Monday, July 13. The affected portion of the county on the northeast side of the fire have moved from evacuation to pre-evacuation status. The fire remains active near North Muddy Creek, with potential to advance toward Rye. Thus, evacuation status remains on the south side of the fire. For Pueblo County evacuation information, call the Joint Information Center (JIC) at 719-583-4640; information about the Disaster Assistance Center (DAC) is also available.
In Custer County, residents of Wetmore began returning on Monday, July 13; the area is in pre-evacuation status. Other areas of the county remain in evacuation status. Highway 96 from Siloam Road in Pueblo County is open to County Road 395 (between Wetmore and Greenwood), or approximately mile marker 24.5 on Highway 96. It remains closed from CR 395 to Mackenzie Junction. Highway 67 from Wetmore to Florence is open. For Custer County re-entry questions, call 719-467-0271.
Huerfano County Sheriff's Office placed all Forest Service land North of CO-69 to the northern-most Huerfano County line under Pre-Evacuation Notice. This includes CR 630 North of CR 630.1 and CR 634 North of 634.2, as well as the entirety of the Greenhorn Wilderness Area. For further information, call 719-738-1044 to reach Huerfano County dispatch.
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 www.facebook.com/PuebloSheriff and X: @PuebloCountySO https://x.com/PuebloCountySO.
Follow Custer County Sheriff's Office Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CCSOAdmin.
Image Gallery
