Latest news with #Meeker
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Colorado wildfire: 2 homes lost as Elk Fire near Meeker balloons to 2K acres
DENVER (KDVR) — The Elk Fire in Rio Blanco County that has already prompted an emergency declaration from Gov. Jared Polis ballooned in size Sunday evening to thousands of acres and destroyed two homes, according to the sheriff's office. Rio Blanco officials first got word of the fire Saturday about 11 miles east of Meeker, which has since grown in size to at least 2,000 acres burned as of Sunday night at 9 p.m., the Rio Blanco County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post. Polis declares emergency for Elk Fire, evacuations ordered The sheriff's office said fire activity increased significantly Sunday afternoon and jumped across County Road 8 and prompted immediate evacuations. Several spot fires also jumped the White River in the area and are a 'top priority,' with helicopters engaged on those spots. 'With the aggressive fire behavior unfortunately, two houses and one outbuilding have been lost, and structures remain threatened,' the sheriff's office said. It is one of several fires burning in the county, according to the sheriff's office, and is burning on private land, state land and Bureau of Land Management land. An evacuation order is now in effect for County Road 8 from Mile Marker 11 to Mile Marker 16, impacting both sides of the road. An evacuation location is set up at 200 Main Street in Meeker. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
87-year-old Meeker man loses home in Elk fire: 2nd major fire disaster he's survived
MEEKER, Colo. (KDVR) — It's an incredible story of resilience coming out of the fire zone near Meeker, where 87-year-old Bob Kydd has now survived two major fire disasters. Last week, on Aug. 3, the Elk Fire destroyed his home, decades after he escaped the explosion at a famous lodge near Meeker back in 1991. Colorado Wildfire Map Bob chose to keep his privacy and did not want to speak on camera for an interview, but we spoke with neighbors who know him well. They say Bob is a quiet and independent man. The community's response to his recent loss has been an outpouring of support. A fundraiser raising more than $14,000 in less than a day. The loss is overwhelming for Bob. His home, a place of memories and solitude, now reduced to rubble and ashes. 'Bob's life in Meeker is pretty structured,' said neighbor Ryan Wix. 'He's got his routine and he remains up on the hill. He is pretty quiet within the community. Everyone who does know Bob and knows Bob from the Sleepy Cat, knows he is a wonderful individual.' Ryan talks about his early memories with Bob. 'Riding my mini bike up to Bob's house up on the ridge from the Sleepy Cat with my brother and dad. We would go up there and visit him. He was the cook and scone man at Sleepy Cats,' said Ryan. 'I got a lot of meals from him and a lot of scones full of honey. Other than that, through the years when Bob wasn't working, we would go visit him pretty frequently and spend some time with him up on the hill at his house.' New fire sparks in Rio Blanco County: Here's the status of all three fires He is known to many, but truly known by few. Rachel Wix, Ryan's wife, said, 'Some people joke he's kind of an urban legend. Everyone has heard of Bob Kydd, but not everybody knows Bob Kydd.' He lives about 16 miles from town. 'I talked to him earlier today, he wants to get up to his place, but his stomach hurt being there and seeing it,' said Ryan. 'He was hoping there was more left than there is, but unfortunately, it's very devastating up there.' Ryan and Rachel, along with other neighbors, witnessed the fire moving quickly over the ridge, leaving little time to evacuate. 'He (Bob) was a bit apprehensive to leave. I think he originally thought he fire was put out, he is certainly not on social media to get any notifications,' said Ryan. 'Bob really got out of there. My friend Kevin, along with his daughters, helped load up to get Bob to safety. Colorado National Guard mobilized to support Elk, Lee fire suppression efforts 'I would say it was within minutes when the fire reached,' Ryan recalled. 'It was visible and they could feel the heat as they were getting in, loaded up in the truck. I was there as the fire crested over the ridge. I knew Bob's place was likely gone at that point. It was a quiet time for Bob and us, and it was definitely a hard sight to see.' Moved by Bob's situation, neighbors started a way to help him out by starting a GoFundMe. 'It's really hard to see someone that is 87 years young lose his entire life,' Rachel said. 'That was really hard.' 'I think at the moment his plans are probably to hang tight in Meeker,' said Ryan. 'So, I think the future is a little uncertain as to what it would look like. I think with enough support, I don't think anything will feel like home, but we can do the best we can.' That explosion Bob survived was a gas explosion at the Sleepy Cat Lodge back in 1991. The lodge was destroyed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Rio Blanco County wildfires: Polis declares disaster emergency in Crosho Fire, authorizes National Guard response
DENVER (KDVR) — Three fires are burning in Colorado's Rio Blanco County, one of which is now the 5th largest in state history and still growing. The Lee Fire near Meeker has burned more than 120,000 acres as of Tuesday night; the nearby Elk Fire has burned just over 14,500 acres; and the most recently reported Crosho Fire is at 500 acres. 87-year-old Meeker man loses home in Elk fire: 2nd major fire disaster he's survived ⬇️ Several areas near the Lee and Elk fires have been evacuated, and the Crosho Fire has caused pre-evacuation notices near several small Routt County towns. The three fires are among several others burning in western Colorado, some of which have prompted evacuations of their own. Gov. Jared Polis has declared a disaster emergency for the Lee and Elk Fires, and the Colorado National Guard has been authorized to assist in the fire response. On Wednesday night, Polis also declared a disaster emergency for the Crosho Fire and authorized the Colorado National Guard for that fire as well. 'I am receiving regular updates on the Lee Fire in western Colorado,' Polis said in an X post. 'We are working to maximize resources for the response, and evacuations are currently underway. Support is available for impacted communities.' The verbal declaration of a disaster emergency activates the State Emergency Operations and Resource Mobilization Plans, as well as authorizes the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to coordinate the state response. An interactive map of Elk and Lee Fire evacuations can be found here, and an interactive evacuation map of the Crosho Fire can be found here. Archived Live Updates Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
6 days ago
- Climate
- CBS News
Crews make progress on Elk Fire burning in Colorado while Lee Fire continues to be challenging
Crews continue to make progress on two large wildfires burning in Western Colorado, although fire officials said one continues to be challenging. Fire officials with the Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 3 provided an update on the Elk and Lee fires burning near Meeker. The Lee Fire continues to grow, according to fire officials, and has burned 116,859 acres as of Tuesday afternoon with 6% containment. The Lee Fire is the fifth-largest single wildfire in Colorado history. According to the Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 3, the drought with severe and extreme weather conditions, along with multiple days of red flag warnings and heightened fire activity, caused the Lee fire to grow over 100,000 acres in eight days. Fire crews have been working to find areas of opportunity in the southern area of the fire to reduce its spread. "Around the town of Meeker, we have that pretty locked in and secured, that's where our containment for the fire is showing that, that was a priority for us," said Tyler Nathy, Operations Section Chief with the Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 3. The Elk Fire has burned 14,549 acres with a 30% containment. Officials said there are 1,234 personnel on the fire with combined resources of helicopters, drones, fixed wing, hand crews, engines and heavy equipment. "Crews are making progress getting around that fire, securing the line and making sure the homes at risk over there are no longer threatened," said Nathy. "A lot of good work is going in out there." The Elk and Lee fires were caused by lightning on Aug. 2.
CBS News
11-08-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Lee Fire now fifth-largest single wildfire in Colorado history. These are the other four.
The Lee Fire near Meeker is now over 113,000 acres, fire maps show, and has surpassed the Spring Creek Fire of 2018 as the state's fifth-largest wildfire. Over 1,000 firefighters and a dozen aircraft are involved in efforts to contain and extinguish the fire, along with the nearby Elk Fire. A number of evacuations have already been ordered. For a live, interactive evacuation zone map, you can click here. The size of the fire has exploded since growing from 13,000 to almost 23,000 acres on Aug. 6, when Gov. Jared Polis issued an emergency disaster declaration. It has grown steadily in the days since, breaking 100,000 acres on Sunday. The Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control maintains a list of the largest wildfires in the state's history. A quick overview of the agency's data shows the following: No homes have been lost in the fire, but several structures have been damaged. A full accounting of the damage likely can't be completed until the fire is extinguished, and as of Monday afternoon, it was only 7% contained. The most destructive fires in the state's history so far are as follows: At its current size on Monday, only four fires in state history are larger than the Lee Fire, although the West Fork Complex of 2013 comprised several fires in close proximity to one another, including the West Fork Fire at 58,570 acres and the Papoose Fire at 49,628 acres. Some rankings group the fires all as one, but the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control categorizes and ranks them separately. That agency's list shows the following four fires as being the only ones larger than the Lee Fire: Weather conditions are not expected to help containment efforts for some time, with relatively low humidity and winds of 7 to 10 mph until Friday. "Near critical fire weather will return today," the Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team said in a statement. "This will include low relative humidity, periods of gusty winds from the north and clouds in the late afternoon. Critical dry fuels with the expected weather could result in extreme fire behavior in some areas of the Lee Fire." There will be a community meeting about the Lee Fire at 7 p.m. on Monday at Colorado Mountain College's Rifle Campus, 3695 Airport Road, where fire officials will provide updates to the public and answer any questions that community members have.
