Schwachheim Fire surges near Trinidad, tops 450 acres, no containment

Firefighters were racing Monday to keep the Schwachheim Fire from pushing deeper into the rugged Lake Dorothey area southeast of Trinidad, where the blaze had jumped to 450 acres with no containment and closed one of Las Animas County’s key wildlife areas.

The fire was burning in the Lake Dorothey State Wildlife Area, about 13 miles southeast of Trinidad and less than a mile from the New Mexico border. Colorado Parks and Wildlife identifies the area as a Las Animas County wildlife area with hunting, fishing, camping and guide access uses, making the closure an immediate hit for anyone who uses the public land or depends on access through the Trinidad-to-Raton corridor.

Governor Jared Polis verbally declared a disaster emergency Monday, activating the state emergency operations plan and bringing in support from the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control. State resources included engine and hand crews, aerial support and a DFPC-sponsored Type 3 Incident Management Team as officials moved to organize a larger response around the fast-growing fire.

The size of the fire changed quickly through the day. State officials said it was estimated at more than 300 acres Monday afternoon, while Denver7 reported it at 450 acres with no containment as of 4:50 p.m. The fire had been first reported Sunday, April 12, and crews in Colfax County said it was initially estimated at about 70 to 80 acres before later Colorado updates showed much faster growth.

Local fire districts were already stretched thin. The Hoehne Fire Protection District responded with outside help, and firefighters were also using drones in the area while helping eliminate a separate fire at SFTR. Across the border, the Colfax County Fire Marshal’s Office said crews were dispatched at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday, with Raton Fire Department and Colfax County Rapid Response establishing unified command, two dozers building containment lines and a helicopter making multiple water drops.

The terrain and weather made the fire especially concerning. The wildfire was burning in steep country near the Colorado-New Mexico border as gusty winds and elevated fire danger gripped southern Colorado. With Lake Dorothey closed until further notice and state resources now committed, the next 12 to 24 hours were likely to determine whether crews could keep the fire from spreading farther into public land and nearby communities.