Grass fire east of Kim contained after burning more than 2,500 acres

A grass fire that started Monday afternoon south of the Highway 160 and County Road 223 intersection east of the town of Kim burned more than 2,500 acres before crews achieved full containment Tuesday evening. The Kim Area Volunteer Fire Department and Ambulance Service reported the blaze 100% contained around 6 p.m., after local volunteer departments and ambulance services joined suppression efforts.

Responding agencies included the Springfield Volunteer Fire Department, Pritchett Volunteer Fire Department, La Junta Fire Department, Rocky Ford Fire Department, Walsh Ambulance Service and Campo Volunteer Fire Department. Mutual aid from neighboring departments helped secure lines and prevent spread beyond the grassland east of Kim.

The size of the burn—over 2,500 acres—underscores the destructive potential of grass fires on open rangeland around Las Animas County communities. While officials reported containment, the scale of the incident has practical implications for ranchers, landowners and people who travel County Road 223 and Highway 160. Burned grazing land can reduce available forage and complicate fence and pasture maintenance in the months ahead, and localized smoke and road-side hazards may linger even after flames are out.

The incident highlights how much local wildfire response relies on volunteer fire departments and interagency cooperation. In rural counties like Las Animas, volunteer crews provide the front line of defense for fast-moving grass fires; their capacity depends on trained personnel, equipment readiness and rapid community notification when fires begin.

County emergency-notification systems are a key part of that response. Officials are encouraging residents to sign up for Las Animas County’s CodeRED alerts so they can receive evacuation notices, road closures and other urgent messages directly to phones and emails. Enrollment in local alert systems shortens response times for households and helps volunteers by reducing the number of people caught unaware during an event.

The containment announcement means immediate danger from this fire has passed, but the larger economic and practical aftereffects remain local concerns. Ranchers should check pastures and fences, and residents who live or work near Highway 160 and County Road 223 should be mindful of lingering debris and potential smoke on travel routes.

The takeaway? Sign up for CodeRED if you haven’t already, check in on neighbors and your livestock, and consider backing the volunteer departments that respond when every minute counts. Our two cents? Staying plugged into local alerts and supporting those volunteers is the best way to keep Kim and surrounding ranch country safer.