Colorado prison evacuated as wildfire becomes one of largest in state history
Evacuation orders were already in place for mountain communities as the Lee fire charred more than 167 sq miles (433 sq km) across Garfield and Rio Blanco counties, with just 6% containment. No injuries or structural damage has been reported.
All 179 incarcerated people were safely removed from the Rifle Correctional Center on Saturday 'out of an abundance of caution', the Colorado department of corrections said in a statement. They were temporarily relocated about 150 miles (240km) away to the Buena Vista correctional complex, the department said.
The Lee fire, churning through trees and brush about 250 miles (400km) west of Denver, is now the sixth-largest single fire in the state's history, according to the Colorado division of fire prevention and control.
More than a thousand firefighters are battling the blaze, working to keep the flames to the west of Colorado 13 and north of County Road 5, officials said.
Health officials issued air quality warnings related to smoke from the Lee fire and the 23-sq-mile (60-sq-km) Elk fire burning just to the east.
In southern California, crews reached 62% containment on the 8-sq-mile (20-sq-km) Canyon fire that forced evacuations and destroyed seven structures after breaking out Thursday near the Los Angeles county and Ventura county line. Three firefighters have been injured, including a battalion chief who was seriously hurt when his pickup truck rolled over in steep terrain.
The Gifford fire, California's largest blaze so far this year, has scorched at least 180 sq miles (466 sq km) of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties since erupting on 1 August. It was 32% contained on Sunday.
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