Tuesday, 28 July 2026, 4:49
On July 4, 2026, a strike team from Cal Fire's Sonoma-Lake-Napa unit departed for Colorado, responding to a mutual aid request from Gov. Gavin Newsom. The team joins over 734 personnel fighting the Aspen Acres Fire, which ignited June 29 near the San Isabel mountains and has rapidly grown to 97,083 acres with 28% containment as of July 10. The deployment underscores the growing interstate cooperation in wildfire response.
Governor Newsom ordered 15 Cal Fire engines, 53 firefighters, one agency representative, and a mechanic to assist. The Sonoma-Lake-Napa unit, headquartered in St. Helena, covers six Northern California counties. Crews are expected to remain in Colorado for up to 14 days. Cal Fire confirmed that this is the first resource deployment under the National Association of State Foresters, a formal state-to-state partnership. The journey from California took two days, with crews stopping to help on other fires along the route before arriving in Pueblo on Sunday night, July 5. Officials said Cal Fire crews were "covering some of the most critical areas" Monday morning.
The Aspen Acres Fire, burning in Custer and Pueblo counties about 150 miles south of Denver, has been fueled by critically dry conditions and wind gusts up to 100 mph. Entire towns have been evacuated, including Beulah, Rye, Wetmore, San Isabel, and Colorado City. The fire is now the seventh-largest in Colorado history. As of July 10, it has burned 97,083 acres with 28% containment, and has destroyed about 850 structures. The fire is believed to have been started by a human, but a specific cause is under investigation. No civilian injuries or deaths have been reported. The fire also came within 200 yards of Bishop Castle in Custer County on July 3, but the castle was still standing as of July 4. Evacuation centers have been established at the Pueblo County Recreation Center, Lange Hall in Westcliffe, and Pathfinder Regional Park in Florence. Several road closures are in effect, including Colorado Highway 165, Colorado 78, Colorado 67, and Colorado 96. I-25 is not closed but closures are possible depending on fire activity. By Friday, July 3, the fire had expanded overnight by 17 square miles (44 square kilometers), bringing it up to nearly 105 square miles (272 square kilometers) with zero containment. All of Colorado City, an unincorporated community of about 2,200, was ordered evacuated as well as the towns of Beulah, Rye and San Isabel, according to the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office. About 50 National Guard soldiers were being sent in Friday to help with staffing checkpoints on roads in Custer and Pueblo counties. Guard members would also help State Park Rangers as they bring on additional boats to keep boaters clear of water-scooping operations. Fire personnel were scooping water from the Pueblo Reservoir to fight the fire.
As of July 4, the fire had burned 86,983 acres with 6% containment, according to the Alaska Complex Incident Management Team 1. At least 212 structures have been destroyed — 157 in Pueblo County and 55 in Custer County — though the actual number is likely higher due to limited damage assessments. One of the buildings lost was the historic Horseshoe Lodge in Beulah Mountain Park, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The fire is now the eighth largest in Colorado history.
As of July 7, the fire has burned 96,100 acres (150 square miles) with 28% containment, and has destroyed at least 193 homes and structures. The fire is now the seventh-largest in Colorado history. Some volunteer firefighters are among those who have lost their Colorado homes in the Aspen Acres Fire.
Updated damage assessments on July 6 reported that more than 260 homes have been destroyed, with 185 homes and four commercial businesses lost in Pueblo County and 78 homes in Custer County. Nearly 12,000 people have been evacuated, including about 10,000 in Pueblo County, 600 in Custer County, and 1,000 in Fremont County. Incident Commander Jake Livingston noted progress on the eastern perimeter but warned of continued active fire growth in northern and western areas due to hot, dry conditions and high winds from thunderstorms. Monsoonal moisture was expected in coming days, offering potential relief if rain falls on the fire. As of July 6, the fire had consumed 91,982 acres with 13% containment, and over 1,500 personnel were on site. The fire is now the seventh-largest in Colorado history, behind the 108,045-acre Spring Creek fire in 2018. Some evacuation orders were lifted in Pueblo County west of I-25, but those areas remained on pre-evacuation status. In Fremont County, pre-evacuation areas were moved to mandatory evacuation orders on July 5, including Fremont County roads 15, 100, and 103, Newlin Ridge Road, the Los Pinos subdivision, Locke Mountain Estates, and the towns of Coal Creek, Rockvale, and Williamsburg.
As of Wednesday, July 8, the Aspen Acres fire had burned 96,031 acres with 15% containment, according to an update from the incident management team. The fire's footprint is approaching the size of Denver, which is a little over 153 square miles. Law enforcement believes the fire has destroyed at least 192 homes and four businesses in Pueblo County and another 83 homes in Custer County. Another seven homes were damaged, according to the Custer County Sheriff's Office. Pueblo County officials have assessed 67% of the damaged structures so far, Sheriff David Lucero said Wednesday. Nearly 1,700 personnel were on scene Wednesday morning to fight the wildfire. The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office lifted evacuation orders on Monday for people who live west of Interstate 25 and north of Cummings Street, east of South Crow Cutoff, east of Haynes Road and south of Jerry Bass Lane. Those areas remained on pre-evacuation status. Mandatory evacuations remained in place between the pre-evacuation zone and the Wet Mountains. As of Wednesday morning, mandatory evacuations remained in effect for Fremont County, including Williamsburg, Rockvale and Coal Creek. Evacuated residents can seek shelter at the Pueblo County Recreation Center, 1650 Cooper Place; the Wetmore Community Center, 95 County Road 393; or at Pathfinder Park in Florence, 6655 Colorado 115. The following roads remained closed: Colorado 96 in both directions between Silver Cliff and Siloam Road; southbound Colorado 67 between the Fremont County line and Wetmore; Colorado 165 in both directions between McKenzie Junction and Interstate 25; and Colorado 78 in both directions between Custer and Pueblo counties.
Together, four active wildfires in Colorado have consumed nearly 190,000 acres, or 296 square miles — nearly twice the size of the city of Denver. The Aspen Acres fire surged forward on Tuesday, scorching another 3,000 acres for a total burn area of more than 150 square miles, according to fire officials. The fire remained Colorado's largest active blaze and the seventh-largest in state history on Wednesday. It has forced thousands of people to evacuate and destroyed hundreds of homes.
As of Friday, July 10, the Aspen Acres fire had burned 97,083 acres and was 28% contained, a significant jump from recent days. The fire has destroyed about 850 structures, according to Alaska Complex Incident Management Team 1 Section Chief Brad Washa. Despite the high number of structures lost, he noted firefighters did their best, saying “There were a lot of good saves.” About 1,900 people are assigned to the fire, a number that’s been steadily rising since the fire started. Conditions have improved in the Wetmore and Greenwood areas on the northwest portion of the fire, and while those communities remain evacuated, that will be reassessed. Crews are continuing to protect structures in Colorado City and Rye. On the west side, substantial progress was made in constructing dozer line in the Mingus Ranch area along Colorado 165. Despite recent rainstorms, challenging days are ahead, the team said in a written update.
As of July 7, the fire had destroyed 337 homes in Pueblo and Custer counties, according to updated damage assessments. The Beulah fire chief confirmed that the fire destroyed 193 homes in that area alone. The fire also destroyed a 'slice of heaven' for a Beulah couple who lost their home and are starting over.
The Sonoma-Lake-Napa unit includes Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Colusa, Lake, and Yolo counties — regions familiar with devastating wildfires. California has faced its own recent crises, including the 2024 Park Fire and the 2025 Eaton and Palisades fires. This deployment reciprocates Colorado’s aid during those events.
Interstate fire assistance has become routine as Western states face worsening drought and heat. Colorado previously sent resources to California for major fires. Cal Fire Chief Joe Tyler emphasized that “wildfire is not just a challenge for California — it’s a shared reality across the West.”
California’s swift response demonstrates solidarity with Colorado while ensuring no gap in local protection. The partnership model may become a template for future cross-border firefighting efforts.
