Gov. Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency for a new wildfire on Wednesday night, as others around the state grew in size.

Emergency crews working on the Crosho fire, currently at an estimated 1,700 acres — roughly 600 of which are on state and private lands in both Rio Blanco and Routt County — will now be able to access state and federal resources, according to a Wednesday news release from Polis’ office.

The fire began Monday on Routt National Forest land before quickly spreading to private land in both counties, according to the release.

The declaration is the latest in what has become a fiery few weeks on Colorado’s Western Slope. Rio Blanco County, in particular, has had its hands full with the Elk and Lee fires, which, combined, have burned nearly 136,000 acres as of Wednesday night, according to a post on the Elk and Lee Fire Information Facebook page.

Both starting about two weeks ago, the fires threatened the town of Meeker and prompted evacuation orders along Highway 13. Consistent hot, dry, windy conditions and an abundance of drought-stricken fuel has allowed the fires to spread rapidly and maintain size, despite crews’ best efforts to mitigate them.

Slight growth of state’s largest fire as blaze hits 116,000 acres

The Elk fire, currently at 14,51 acres, has now reached 75% containment, according to the post. Located to the southeast of Meeker, the fire was quickly mitigated by crews, and has largely remained the same size over the past several days.

The Lee fire, currently at 123,222 acres and the fifth largest in state history, is still just 4% contained, though crews have solidified dozer lines along Meeker’s southwest corner to prevent it from spreading as close to the town as it did last week.

Lee fire grows to 5th largest in Colorado history

Responders remain optimistic about their lines — both on the northeast end of the fire near Meeker and on the southern end closer to Rifle — and believe that, with most of its immediate fuel now burned, the fire will effectively burn itself out once the winds change back in the direction of Meeker.

Officials optimistic as Lee fire surpasses 121,000 acres

Even with the optimism, critical fire weather still persists in the region, with low relative humidity and windy conditions expected over the coming days, according to the authorities.

Both state and federal resources have assisted in fighting the twin fires, including several National Guard aircraft and unmanned drones. 

Officials have created a fire information Facebook page where they will be posting updates about the Elk and Lee fires. Those looking for up-to-date information on evacuation notices and road closures should go to the Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, or sign up for emergency alerts at this link.