COLORADO (KOAA) — Colorado, like many other states in the West, saw an uptick in fire activity following the Fourth of July Holiday week.
The dry conditions on the Western Slope of Colorado have led to multiple wildfires that have continued to burn as of Saturday, August 2.
In total, well over 20,000 acres are burning across the state, and many counties have evacuation and pre-evacuation orders in place. We will continue to update the largest fire details with the latest information as it is received.
THE BIG THREE
Turner Gulch Fire - Ignition July 10, 2025
Size: 21,622 acres
Containment: 49%
Cause: Lightning
Structures Destroyed: None
Personnel: 344
As the fire continues to grow, crews are still working on containment and mitigation efforts while utilizing aerial resources.
On Wednesday, dry and windy conditions in the area caused an increase in fire activity. The winds caused the fire to grow and also grounded air resources for safety reasons.
The fire grew over a thousand acres in one day. Crews continue mitigation efforts.
Warm and dry conditions have caused an increase in fire activity, allowing crews to find hot spots.
Local fire officials will hold a community meeting on Saturday, July 26, to provide information on the Turner Gulch and Wright Draw Fires.
The meeting will be in person at 6:00 p.m. and also livestreamed on Facebook.
The east and southwest sides of the fire are still burning, due to lower levels of rainfall compared to the western side. Crews are working to remove unburned fuels.
Latest updates from crews on the scene on Saturday indicate that work continues on the Turner Gulch Fire and Wright Draw fires, which both started on July 10 after significant heat lightning in the area.
Crews continue to work, but with dry conditions in the area, rapid growth was expected and seen, jumping from 1,500 acres to over 8,000 between Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning.
A crew from the Colorado Springs Fire Department is helping to fight the wildfire.
Crews continue to work on containing the fire, finding potential hotspots, and mopping up around structures. With containment levels up to 41%, crews continue to work around the clock, with aerial crews doing water and retardant drops. See the latest updates from crews on scene here.
Sowbelly Fire - Ignition July 10, 2025
Size: 2,274 acres
Containment: 95%
Cause: Lightning
Structures Destroyed: None
Personnel: 55
Friday is the final update for the Sowbelly Fire. Fire officials say that remaining crews will be pulled from the area, and the minimal heat that does remain will be monitored by air resources and patrols.
The fire is creeping and smoldering, but crews are working to find hotspots in the area.
Crews are working to put out hot spots and starting to mop up, but gusty winds in the area are causing challenges with fire suppression. Get the latest here.
South Rim Fire - Ignition July 10, 2025
Size: 4,232 acres
Containment: 52%
Cause: Lightning
Structures Destroyed: None
Personnel: 47
Firefighters are wrapping up on the South Rim Fire. The fire has significantly affected the stability of the slopes in the area, causing concern for rockfall, mudslides, and debris flows that could injure people.
The park will reopen once crews and park staff can ensure that the area is safe.
As of Thursday, July 31, updates for the South Rim Fire will be on an "as needed" basis, due to minimal fire activity.
The base operations at Johnson Elementary School will be dismantled, but 169 personnel will stay to monitor the fire.
Fire crews have begun suppression repair efforts in areas impacted by the firefighting operations. The repairs will restore the affected areas to their original conditions.
Crews continue to monitor the fire while also prioritizing everyone's safety.
The North Rim of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park will reopen on Wednesday, July 30. Park officials say that visitors will be able to access trails, overlooks, and the North Rim Campground.
The South Rim of the park will remain closed due to the fire.
Fire officials said on Friday that there has been a reduction in fire activity, resulting in a decrease in fire complexity.
A Type 3 Incident Team will begin to shadow the Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 3 on Saturday and take command of the fire on Saturday evening.
Since the fire's perimeter lies in an area that is too steep for ground crews, crews will continue to monitor the area in the case of any additional heat.
Smoke from the fires in northern Arizona may be seen in the Uncompahgre Valley on Thursday.
Throughout Saturday, firefighters removed heat areas around the fire's perimeter, and additional containment was achieved!
On Friday, crews continued to mop up around the perimeter of the fire, and they were able to strengthen firelines along the southern portion of the fire. Crews continue to work around the clock.
Cloudy skies over the fire kept fire activity low on Thursday, allowing crews to reach 14% containment, a huge milestone in the ongoing fight. Crews will continue to work day and night to keep containment levels and maintain firelines.
Rainfall on Wednesday afternoon through the evening, in addition to higher humidity, decreased fire activity. Wind gusts on Thursday evening could potentially bring more rain to the area.
Crews continue to work on securing firelines, patrolling the area, and mopping up the western perimeter of the fire.
With extremely steep terrain, crews are still looking for opportunities to safely engage the northwest side of the fire. Get the latest here.
CROSSING STATE LINES
Deer Creek Fire - Ignition July 10
Size: 17,724 acres
Containment: 93%
Cause: Unknown
Structures Destroyed: None
Personnel: 266
A wildfire burning in Utah has passed over across state lines into Colorado on Monday since its ignition on July 10. Containment work is making progress and currently sits at 17% as of the last update. Get the latest here.
SMALLER WILDFIRES ACROSS COLORADO
Wright Draw Fire - Ignition July 10
Size: 466 acres
Containment: 92%
Cause: Lightning
Structures Destroyed: None
Personnel: 441
The Wright Draw fire is a separate fire burning just southwest of the larger Turner Gulch Fire.
Aerial resources are working to keep the fire from spreading across the North Fork West Creek. Ground crews are using heavy equipment to create and maintain strong firelines to prevent the fire from spreading further.
Crews are working to keep the fire contained on the mesa it is currently on and prevents spread from canyon fuels in the area. This fire is present in remote terrain that is extremely tough to access.
Ute 63 Fire - Ignition July 13
Size: 530 acres
Containment: 100%
Cause: Unknown
Structures destroyed: Unknown
Personnel: 100
As of 2 p.m. Monday, the Ute 63 Fire is 100% contained, according to the Colorado Office of Emergency Management.
Airport Fire/Louviers Fire - Ignition July 13
Size: 130 acres
Containment: 100%
Cause: Unknown
Structures Destroyed: None
Personnel: Under investigation
Crews in Douglas County are taking advantage of the cool, wet conditions, aiming to fully contain the fire.
The South Metro Fire Rescue Fire Marshal’s Office believes that the fire was started by a passing train. Further investigation shows that a train was passing in the area at the fire's origin location.
Fire near Daniels Park in Douglas County - Ignition July 15
Size: 5 acres
Containment: 100%
Cause: Undetermined
Structures Destroyed: None
Personnel: Unknown at this time
Just before 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, another fire started in Douglas County. The fire, which has not been named, was burning near the Ron King Trail east of Highway 85 and northwest of Daniels Park.
Crews conducted final checks around 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Mountain View Fire - Ignition July 10
Size: 60 acres
Containment: 100%
Cause: Undetermined
Structures Destroyed: Two Homes
The Mountain View Fire, which burned from July 10-11 and destroyed two homes north of Buena Vista last week, is fully contained.
The Chaffee County Sheriff's Office is investigating the origins of the fire, but has not announced a cause at the time of publishing this web story.
This web story will be updated daily until all fires reach 100% containment.
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