Colorado Updates:
Lee Fire Continues to Rage in Colorado
The Lee Fire, located outside Meeker, Colorado, has expanded to over 133,841 acres and remains the fifth-largest wildfire in the state's history. As of August 15, 2025, the fire is 12% contained, showing improvement in containment after recent gains despite continued growth within established fire borders.
The fire, which started from a lightning strike on August 2, has shown extreme and unprecedented fire behavior, which has made suppression efforts challenging. Fire crews have managed to hold the fire perimeter well, particularly on the southern side, but evacuations remain in place in affected zones.
The nearby Elk Fire in Rio Blanco County is smaller, at around 14,518 acres, but has reached 93-83% containment, showing significant progress.
Key points on the Lee Fire status and updates:
- Size: 133,841 acres burned, fifth-largest in state history.
- Containment: Increased to 12%, up 9 points from the previous day.
- Fire Behavior: Extreme and unprecedented, fire lines holding but active south side.
- Weather: Improvements with rain chances and moderate conditions expected to help crews.
- Impacts: At least five homes and 14 other structures destroyed; evacuations ongoing in many areas.
- Personnel/resources: Over 1,200 firefighters, 10 aircraft, 20 hand crews, and heavy equipment involved.
- Community involvement: Local briefings and evacuations have been conducted with attention to protecting homes, infrastructure, and ranching livelihoods.
The Lee Fire is currently growing and threatening a ranch southwest of Meeker. The Kelley family, whose ranch is in the path of the fire, is preparing to evacuate. No further information is provided about the Kelley family or their horses in this paragraph.
Weather conditions have improved from critical to high fire danger with a forecast of precipitation and moderate weather expected to aid firefighting efforts over the weekend. Overall, containment progress and weather relief offer cautious optimism, but fire activity remains significant, and continued vigilance is required.
If you need evacuation information or updates on specific communities like Rifle or Meeker, those remain active and monitored closely by authorities. To stay informed on Colorado's top stories, subscribe to the Mile High Roundup newsletter, which delivers top stories to subscribers' inboxes.
- The politics surrounding the Lee Fire's response could involve discussions about the allocation of resources for fire suppression, as the fire remains a significant threat and requires continued efforts from fire crews.
- In light of improved weather conditions and increased containment, it may be necessary for policymakers to reevaluate evacuation orders and consider the potential for liftings in certain areas, while maintaining watchfulness for any unexpected fire behavior.
