Colorado Aspen Acres Fire destroys 150 structures, forces 4,200 to flee

At around 5:30 a.m. Monday, the Aspen Acres Fire tore through Colorado’s south-central mountains near the Aspen Acres Campground and Aspen Acres neighborhood along Colorado Highway 165 by the Pueblo County line. By Tuesday afternoon, the blaze had grown to 28,314 acres, remained 0% contained, and had already forced about 4,200 people from their homes.

The fire destroyed 55 homes in Custer County and more than 100 structures in Pueblo County, pushing the overall damage past 150 structures by Tuesday afternoon. Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero briefed the public as crews worked in dangerous wind conditions that slowed both aircraft and ground crews and kept the fire moving.

Evacuation orders widened through the day to include Beulah, Rye, San Isabel and the North Creek area, with mandatory evacuations also in effect for North Creek. Colorado Highway 165 remained part of the fire response area, and Colorado Highway 78 stayed closed in places as officials tried to move residents out and keep access open for firefighting.

Emergency managers directed evacuees to the Pueblo County Recreation Center at 1650 Cooper Place, which served as the primary evacuation center. The Wetmore Community Center at 95 County Road 393 also opened for people driven out by the fire. Transportation was provided for some evacuees from Rye, while large animals and livestock were accepted at the Colorado State Fairgrounds through Gate 7 off Small Avenue.