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Prison in Colorado forcibly evacuated due to escalating wildfire, now ranking among the most extensive in the state's recorded history.

Colorado Penitentiary evacuated amidst spread of one of the state's largest wildfires, with authorities urging residents of secluded zones to prepare for potential evacuation on Sunday.

Prison in Colorado forced to evacuate due to expansive wildfire, now among the most significant in...
Prison in Colorado forced to evacuate due to expansive wildfire, now among the most significant in the state's recorded history.

Prison in Colorado forcibly evacuated due to escalating wildfire, now ranking among the most extensive in the state's recorded history.

The Lee Fire, currently Colorado's 5th largest wildfire in history, is actively burning with low containment. This blaze, which started from a lightning strike southwest of Meeker on August 2, has charred over 167 square miles across Garfield and Rio Blanco counties.

Over 1,000 firefighters are engaged in the firefighting efforts, working alongside the nearby Elk Fire, which has been fully contained. The Elk Fire, located near Meeker, covered an area of 23 square miles.

Community meetings in Rifle provide updates and evacuation information to residents. While specific current evacuation status for the Rifle Correctional Center is not definitively specified, evacuations have been part of response measures in areas surrounding the fires. Evacuation orders have been issued for mountain communities due to the Lee Fire's growth.

The Lee Fire ranks after the three largest Colorado wildfires: the Cameron Peak Fire, East Troublesome Fire, and Pine Gulch Fire. The Elk Fire near Meeker has been fully contained as of August 17, 2025.

In broader context, the Lee Fire's impacts remain significant across Garfield and Rio Blanco counties. No injuries or structural damage have been reported so far, but the firefighters are focusing efforts to keep the flames to the west of Colorado 13 and north of County Road 5.

Elsewhere in the United States, the Canyon Fire in Southern California has destroyed seven structures and has a 62% containment rate. Three firefighters have been injured while combating the Canyon Fire, including a battalion chief who was seriously hurt when his pickup truck rolled over. On Saturday, all 179 incarcerated individuals were safely evacuated from the Rifle Correctional Center due to the wildfire. The evacuated individuals were temporarily relocated about 150 miles away to the Buena Vista Correctional Complex.

As the Lee Fire continues to burn, health officials have issued air quality warnings related to the smoke from the Lee Fire and the Elk Fire. No new information about the number of firefighters working to combat the Lee Fire or the Rifle Correctional Center evacuation was provided in the article.

  1. The aforementioned Lee Fire, Colorado's fifth largest wildfire, has raised concerns within environmental science regarding climate-change and its potential impacts on wildfire behavior.
  2. The ongoing Lee Fire and the previously contained Elk Fire are dominating general-news, underlining the importance of weather forecasting in understanding and managing such disasters.
  3. Interestingly, while the Lee Fire threatens residential areas and the Rifle Correctional Center, incidents like the Canyon Fire in California highlight the risks crime-and-justice personnel face in such crisis situations, as three firefighters were injured in the line of duty.
  4. Meanwhile, weather conditions may play a role in the number of accidents and emergencies caused by the Lee Fire and subsequent evacuations, such as the Rifle Correctional Center evacuation, as smoke from the fires raises air quality concerns.

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