A home burns in the Aspen Acres fire on July 3, 2026 in Rye, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)

OAN Staff Addie Davis
7:06 AM – Monday, July 6, 2026

Fire personnel continue to fight the Aspen Acres Fire in Southern Colorado, which has spread to tens of thousands of acres.

The wildfire was first reported on Monday, June 29th, originating about 10 miles to the northwest of Rye, Colorado, near the Aspen Acres Campground, according to InciWeb, an interagency incident information management system.

Due to the dry conditions, the fire quickly spread, reaching about 89,000 acres as of Monday morning.

“It experienced explosive growth due to record low fuel moisture levels and persistent red flag conditions in the week prior to and days following the ignition. The fire was wind driven by 40+ mph winds with gusts estimated to be up to 100 mph,” InciWeb stated.

 

An American flag tattered with smoke from the Aspen Fire in the distance. (Image via InciWeb)

However, firefighters are making headway against the blaze.

“Firefighting efforts continue to make progress after several days of rapid movement and shifting operations,” the information system added.

As more than 1,100 people work to contain the blaze, which was at 14% containment, evacuation orders and pre-evacuations are in place across Custer, Pueblo, Fremont and Huerfano Counties.

 

The cause of the fire was reported as human and is under investigation, though additional details have not been provided.

Other wildfires are also raging across the Western United States, including the Babylon Fire in Southeastern Utah, which has reached more than 90,000 acres with 0% containment and has an estimated containment date of August 1st, per InciWeb.

On Saturday, June 27th, three firefighters were killed and two others injured in a burnover incident while responding to the Knowles and Gores fires near the Colorado-Utah border. The deceased firefighters were identified as Emily Barker, 38 years old, Nick Hutcherson, 27 years old, and Sydney Watson, 27 years old.

 

On Sunday, Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D-Colo.) said he ordered the flags to fly at half-staff in the state to honor the fallen firefighters.

“My heart goes out to the friends, family, loved ones, and fellow crew members who mourn the loss to Emily, Nick, and Sydney,” Polis said.

These three brave heroes ran towards the flames, put themselves in harm's way, and gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect Coloradans, our communities and our families. This Sunday, to honor their lives, I have ordered flags to fly at half-staff across the state to show Colorado’s… pic.twitter.com/RqdispoIls

 — Governor Jared Polis (@GovofCO) July 5, 2026

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