Fish Creek Fire prompts evacuations in south Albany County
Residents within two miles of the Fish Creek Fire were told to leave south Albany County as the blaze raced near Fish Creek Ranch and the Colorado border. Evacuations were later lifted.
The Albany County Sheriff’s Office ordered residents within two miles of the Fish Creek Fire to evacuate as the blaze flared near Fish Creek Ranch in south Albany County, close to the Colorado border. The order forced families, campers and ranch operations out of a rural area where homes, livestock, equipment and narrow access roads can all be vulnerable when fire and wind meet dry summer fuel.
The fire was first reported at about 10 acres on July 21, then identified the next day as the Fish Creek Fire after it had grown overnight. One July 22 update said it had swelled to 30 acres, while another revision pushed the estimate to about 100 acres before later corrections brought the acreage back down. By July 23, the fire was listed at 17 acres and 50% contained, a reminder that early wildfire estimates in remote country can change quickly as crews get eyes on the ground.
The evacuation order was the day’s most immediate disruption for south Albany County. Instead of waiting out the afternoon at home or on the range, residents in the evacuation zone had to leave with little notice while fire crews worked the perimeter and deputies kept people out of danger. The location added to the concern: a fire near the Colorado line can complicate travel for anyone moving between scattered properties, ranchland and county roads, especially when smoke, apparatus and public safety traffic share the same narrow routes.
By July 23, a social-media update said all evacuations for the Fish Creek Fire had been lifted and that residents and campers could return to the area, though heat remained on the ground and people were urged to stay aware of fire activity. That shift from immediate evacuation to re-entry showed how quickly the incident moved from a fast-moving rural emergency to a contained response.
The Fish Creek Fire also landed in a county that has spent years dealing with wildfire readiness and recovery. Albany County’s wildfire page notes that the Mullen Fire began Sept. 17, 2020, burned 176,878 acres and destroyed 66 structures, and that the county received post-fire funding to help property owners affected by it. The county also maintains a fire-restrictions page, underscoring how routine preparedness has become in Albany County’s fire-prone country.
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