Colorado Prison Evacuated As Lee Fire Explodes to Over 113,000 Acres
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A prison in Colorado has been evacuated as one of the largest wildfires in the state's history, called the Lee Fire, continues to blaze.
Why It Matters
Wildfires like the Lee Fire in Colorado are especially dangerous because they burn through dry forests and brush made more flammable by climate change. With hot, dry, and windy weather expected to continue, firefighters are facing tough conditions to contain the blaze.
What To Know
The Lee Fire has burned over 113,000 acres across Rio Blanco and Garfield counties, west of Denver. The fire has been 7 percent contained as of the early hours of Monday morning.
All incarcerated people at the Rifle Correctional Center, 179 in total, were evacuated on Saturday night out of "an abundance of caution to ensure the safety of all individuals involved," the Colorado Department of Corrections said in a press release.
They were moved to the Buena Vista Correctional Complex, outside the fire-affected area.
The Lee Fire has now become the sixth-largest single fire in the state's history, according to the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control.
The Gifford Fire burns in Los Padres National Forest, California, on August 2, 2025, as the Lee Fire continues to spread in Colorado.
The Gifford Fire burns in Los Padres National Forest, California, on August 2, 2025, as the Lee Fire continues to spread in Colorado.
BENJAMIN HANSON/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images
Another wildfire in Colorado, the Elk Fire, is burning 11 miles to the east across more than 14,500 acres.
Eleven zones across the Rio Blanco and Garfield counties are under evacuation orders. No injuries or structural damage have been reported at this time.
Over a thousand fire personnel are responding to the blazes, according to authorities.
Firefighters working on the southern end of the Lee Fire are facing challenges due to the weather and drought conditions, the official Elk and Lee Fire Information Facebook page said on Sunday.
What People Are Saying
Bethany Urban, a fire information officer with Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 3 told NPR: "This is the kind of fire that is really driven in part by the significant drought-stressed fuels that are out there.
"It doesn't actually take that much of a wind to get this fire up and moving in these kinds of fuels."
Garfield County said in an update on Sunday evening: "The weather, coupled with drought conditions, continues to create challenges for firefighters on the southern end of the Lee Fire. As the fire continues to move, fire managers are preparing a strategic plan of the expected movement."
What Happens Next
Locals are advised to keep up to date on evacuation notices for their areas and be prepared to leave if necessary. Firefighters will continue working to contain the blazes.
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