COLORADO CITY, COLORADO — A wildfire so large it now ranks among the nine biggest in Colorado history forced the evacuation of an entire town overnight as crews fought to hold a fire line with no containment in sight.
The Aspen Acres Fire exploded by 11,000 acres in a single night, reaching nearly 67,000 acres by Friday morning. The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office issued mandatory evacuation orders for all of Colorado City west of Interstate 25 in the early morning hours, warning residents there was no time to wait.
Massive flames and a thick column of glowing orange smoke were visible for miles along the I-25 corridor overnight into Friday morning, with emergency lights visible near the fire line as roughly 475 personnel worked through the darkness to slow the spread.
The fire has now destroyed more than 155 structures across Pueblo and Custer Counties, including the historic lodge at Pueblo Mountain Park in Beulah. Mandatory evacuations have also been ordered for residents of Wetmore, Beulah, Rye, San Isabel, and parts of Huerfano County, displacing an estimated 2,200 people or more.
Officials say extreme fire behavior overnight was driven by wind gusts and dry conditions that pushed the fire miles in multiple directions, making it nearly impossible for crews to establish stable containment lines. Red Flag Warnings remain in place across Southern Colorado, with hot temperatures, low humidity, and winds continuing to fuel the danger.
Aircraft including water-scooping planes have been pulling water from Pueblo Reservoir to make drops directly on the fire. A specialized incident management team from Alaska has taken over command of the response.
Smoke from the blaze has reduced visibility along stretches of Interstate 25 to as little as half a mile, creating dangerous driving conditions for holiday weekend travelers.
Officials offered a cautious note of optimism Friday, saying wind conditions may ease through the weekend with possible monsoonal moisture on the horizon — but warned that the fire remains completely uncontained and unpredictable.
Anyone evacuating in Pueblo or Custer County should head immediately to the Disaster Assistance Center at the Pueblo Academy of Arts, where food, financial help, and mental health services are available.
