wildfires
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Rock Creek fire 50% contained on Cheyenne Mountain as dry conditions improve
Favorable conditions aided firefighters in reaching 50% containment of the Rock Creek fire on Thursday after it began burning on Cheyenne Mountain Tuesday evening. Crews made “significant progress” in their efforts due to cooler temperatures and rainfall, according to a social media post by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. Drones will be used in…
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How close is Aspen Acres fire to ADX Florence Supermax prison?
As the Aspen Acres fire blazes in Pueblo and Custer counties, burning through over 90,000 acres of land, evacuation orders border the “Alcatraz of the Rockies.” The ADX Florence Supermax prison in Fremont County is considered the most secure prison in the United States and houses some of the world’s most notorious criminals, including Mexican…
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CSU expert shares air awareness strategies amid rising smoke, ozone risks
Wildfire smoke is blanketing parts of Colorado this summer following a dry winter, with large fires such as the Aspen Acres fire burning tens of thousands of acres and sending plumes across the state. Combined with frequent high-ozone days on the Front Range, poor air quality is threatening public health. The metro Denver area and…
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Aspen Acres fire grows to 10th-largest in Colorado history; incident team from Alaska takes charge
The Aspen Acres fire plume towered over Custer and Pueblo counties on Thursday as the blaze continued to grow in size in extremely hot, dry and windy weather. “I’ve been a firefighter for 40 years and I’ve never seen conditions like we’re seeing,” Mike Morgan, director of the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control,…
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Heat, wind and drought conditions spark wildfires across US West | OUT WEST ROUNDUP
Heat, drought spark wildfires Extreme heat and dry, windy conditions fueled several wildfires in the West on June 21, including an uncontained blaze in Utah that forced the evacuation of a small town southwest of Salt Lake City. The Iron Fire in Utah’s Juab County was first detected on June 20 and had blackened 34…
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US Supreme Court settles long-running water dispute over dwindling Rio Grande | OUT WEST ROUNDUP
NEW MEXICO Rio Grande settlement OK’d ALBUQUERQUE — The U.S. Supreme Court has approved a settlement package designed to rein in groundwater pumping along one of North America’s longest rivers and ensure enough water reliably makes it from New Mexico to Texas, ending a long-running dispute over management of the Rio Grande. In a brief…
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Polis pushes back after Trump administration again denies federal disaster aid
A dispute over federal disaster aid escalated Monday as Colorado Gov. Jared Polis faulted the Trump administration for rejecting the state’s appeals for assistance following last fall’s fires and flooding. The state initially filed for a Major Disaster Declaration for the Elk and Lee fires in Rio Blanco County last August and for flooding in…
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A perfect storm: Pine beetles thriving following warm, dry winter in Colorado
The warmest winter in Colorado history could lead to record-breaking proliferation of a tiny insect, about the size of a grain of rice, that has killed millions of acres of trees across the Centennial State and contributed to the rapid spread of some of its largest wildfires, according to state officials. Mountain pine and spruce…
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Jeffco adopts updates to wildfire resiliency code
Jefferson County is one of the most at-risk counties for wildfires in the country, and the board of commissioners is attempting to lessen the danger. The Jefferson County commissioners approved updates to the Wildfire Resiliency Code on March 10, including creating buffering areas around structures and tougher building requirements. The changes will go into effect…
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Crews swiftly contain 600-acre wildfire in Huerfano County
Crews quickly dealt with a 600-acre wildfire that broke out near Turkey Ridge Ranch in Huerfano County on Wednesday. Dubbed by officials as the “Turkey fire,” the Huerfano County Sheriff’s Office was alerted about the blaze at 2:22 p.m., according to a statement from the office. Crews were deployed to the area of Country Road…