Colorado prison evacuated as wildfire becomes one of the largest in state history
A Colorado prison was evacuated as one of the state’s largest wildfires continued to expand, prompting officials to warn residents in remote areas to be ready to leave as gusty winds and low humidity fueled the fire.
Evacuation orders are already in place for mountain communities as the Lee Fire has burned more than 167 square miles across Garfield and Rio Blanco counties, with containment still at just 6%. No injuries or structural damage have been reported so far.
All 179 inmates were safely evacuated from the Rifle Correctional Center on Saturday as a precaution and temporarily moved about 150 miles away to the Buena Vista Correctional Complex, according to the Colorado Department of Corrections.
The Lee Fire, burning through dense forest about 250 miles west of Denver, is now ranked as the sixth-largest single wildfire in Colorado’s history, according to the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control. More than a thousand firefighters are battling the blaze, focusing on preventing the fire from spreading east of Colorado 13 and north of County Road 5.
Air quality warnings remain in effect due to smoke from the Lee Fire and the nearby Elk Fire, which has burned 23 square miles.
Meanwhile, in Southern California, crews have reached 62% containment of the Canyon Fire, an 8-square-mile blaze that forced evacuations and destroyed seven structures near the Los Angeles and Ventura county line. Three firefighters have been injured, including a battalion chief seriously hurt when his vehicle rolled over in steep terrain.
The Gifford Fire, California’s largest fire this year, has burned at least 180 square miles across Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties since August 1 and is currently 21% contained.
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