Trending Topics

Colo. wildfire forces prison evacuation as blaze intensifies

All 179 inmates were evacuated from Rifle prison as the 167-square-mile wildfire spread

Associated Press

MEEKER, Colo. — A Colorado prison was evacuated as one of the largest wildfires in state history continued to grow, and officials warned residents of remote areas to be ready to leave Sunday as gusty winds and low humidity fed the flames.

Evacuation orders were already in place for mountain communities as the Lee Fire charred more than 167 square miles (433 square kilometers) across Garfield and Rio Blanco counties, with just 6% containment. No injuries or structural damage has been reported.

| ON-DEMAND WEBINAR: L.A.-area chiefs talk January firestorm lessons learned

All 179 incarcerated people were safely removed from the Rifle Correctional Center on Saturday “out of an abundance of caution,” the Colorado Department of Corrections said in a statement. They were temporarily relocated about 150 miles (240 kilometers) away to the Buena Vista Correctional Complex, the department said.

The Lee Fire, churning through trees and brush about 250 miles (400 kilometers) west of Denver, is now the sixth-largest single fire in the state’s history, according to the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control.

More than a thousand firefighters are battling the blaze, working to keep the flames to the west of Colorado 13 and north of County Road 5, officials said.

Health officials issued air quality warnings related to smoke from the Lee Fire and the 23-square-mile (60-square-kilometer) Elk Fire burning just to the east.

In Southern California, crews reached 62% containment on the 8-square-mile (20-square-kilometer) Canyon Fire that forced evacuations and destroyed seven structures after breaking out Thursday near the Los Angeles County and Ventura County line. Three firefighters have been injured, including a battalion chief who was seriously hurt when his pickup truck rolled over in steep terrain.

The Gifford Fire, California’s largest blaze so far this year, has scorched at least 180 square miles (466 square kilometers) of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties since erupting on Aug. 1. It was 21% contained on Sunday.

Trending
Four teens sprang into action after spotting a garage fire on their way home from prom, helping a family evacuate safely and earning praise from local firefighters
More than 100 volunteers joined police, firefighters, EMS and school staff in Springfield for a full-scale drill designed to test emergency response
A former Gabriel House resident injured in the fire that killed 10 people, is suing the facility’s owner and its fire safety contractor for negligence
An early-morning blaze ripped through a Waldorf home, leaving one survivor and injuring a firefighter
Company News
First Due’s new Advanced Data Insights delivers real-time, configurable dashboards across incidents, ePCR, staffing, and more—built for public safety. Agencies get full visibility and meet compliance standards like NFIRS/ NERIS, NEMSQA, and NEMSIS—without technical expertise or third-party tools