Good morning southern Colorado and here's what you need to know on your Friday morning.
If you'd like to read the full story, be sure to click on the story headline.
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The Pine Gulch Fire becomes largest wildfire in Colorado history
The Pine Gulch Fire on the Western Slope broke a record Thursday evening, becoming the largest wildfire in Colorado on record. Before Thursday night, the Hayman Fire was the largest wildfire on record in the state. That fire, which broke out in 2002, burned 137,760 acres north of Lake George, and included Park, Jefferson, Douglas and Teller Counties. The Pine Gulch Fire is now 139,006 acres in size and 77% contained, according to the Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team.
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Colorado State Fair Reimagined: Everything you need to know for this year
With the rodeo canceled and modified events, the Colorado State Fair Reimagined will look a lot different this year as organizers continue with the event to be as safe as possible. The state fair will run from Friday, Aug. 28, through Monday, Sept. 7. It will only be open to people involved in the 4H and FFA events and some food vendors. The fair is offering drive-thru fair food today starting at 11:30 a.m., so you can still enjoy your fair favorites.
News5's Elizabeth Watts will be live in the evening and showing a behind-the-scenes look to our Instagram followers, so be sure to follow us @KOAA_5.
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Friday cold front marks a weather pattern change in Colorado
The cooler weather is making its way into southern Colorado! A cold front will sweep through eastern Colorado in the morning, bringing breezy winds and cooler temperatures. This evening brings heavy rain potential with an isolated severe storm possible. . The next cold front is likely to arrive Sunday evening, keeping Monday in the 70s and 80s.
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D20 to temporarily close Frontier Elementary on Friday
Academy District 20 announced Thursday night that Frontier Elementary School will temporarily close on Friday, and Aspen Valley High School will move to eLearning until further notice. D20 says there is one confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis at FES, but several staff and students were isolated and quarantined earlier this week. On Thursday, a second-grade class was also quarantined. The District feels closing for one day on Friday will provide extra time to plan the best way forward for the school and district, as they await test results.
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Colorado Department of Transportation to add bustang line from Pueblo to Trinidad
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is expanding access for its Bustang service with a new route expected to launch from Pueblo to Trinidad in January 2021. It's one of the several projects CDOT is looking at over the years to expand and improve services in rural parts of the state. In a recent report by CDOT, it outlines dozens of projects throughout the state- including improvements to existing bus shelters for outrider programs in the Arkansas River Valley.
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