Colorado Wildfires: Evacuations Ordered as Blazes Threaten Homes Near Denver

As California battles the fifth-largest wildfire in state history, a trio of wildfires near Denver has forced hundreds of evacuations and claimed at least one life. Here’s the latest on a barrage of blazes burning in several western states:

Colorado Wildfires: A Trio of Blazes

Stone Canyon Fire Turns Deadly

The remains of a fire victim were found Wednesday inside a home in the path of the Stone Canyon Fire – one of three wildfires ravaging the Denver area, Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson said Wednesday. The Stone Canyon Fire has scorched more than 1,500 acres and Gov. Jared Polis said five homes have been destroyed. As firefighting efforts continue, evacuation orders for parts of the town of Lyon were lifted. But some gas service in those neighborhoods was turned off as a precautionary measure, the sheriff said. “Getting people back in with utilities will take some time,” he said. As of Wednesday evening, the fire was 20% contained, according to Boulder’s disaster management office.

Quarry Fire Spreads Rapidly

Emergency crews raced to evacuate homes southwest of Denver overnight as the Quarry Fire, previously known as the Wildland Fire, threatened several subdivisions, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said. By Wednesday night, the blaze had grown from 50 acres to 341 acres, the sheriff’s office posted on X, and was still 0% contained. Polis has deployed the state National Guard to assist in the fire response, he announced in a Wednesday news conference. It marks the first fire-related deployment since 2021’s Marshall Fire, the governor said, which destroyed hundreds of homes. Polis emphasized the National Guard will not be firefighting, but will be “able to take additional support positions, road closures (and) logistics to free up other first responders who directly respond to the fires.”

Firefighters Struggle with Limited Resources

The Quarry Fire will be tough to fight due to the terrain and the number of other wildfires searing parts of Colorado, local officials said. “We don’t know if we’re going to get any air support today or not,” Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Mark Techmeyer said Wednesday. While no injuries nor damaged structures have been reported from the Quarry Fire, firefighters face new hazards with the blaze. The terrain is mountainous, steep and “really hard to navigate on foot,” Techmeyer said. On top of that, “We have a rattlesnake problem to deal with.”

In addition to the Quarry and Stone Canyon fires, Colorado is also grappling with the Alexander Mountain Fire, which has singed more than 7,600 acres north of Denver and was 1% contained as of Wednesday night. Hot, dry and windy weather is expected over the area through Friday and there’s a slight chance of scattered rain over the weekend.

Beyond Colorado: A National Crisis

California’s Park Fire

The weeklong inferno, which started July 24 in Northern California, is now the fifth-largest wildfire in state history. It has swallowed more than 391,000 acres, or 611 square miles, according to Cal Fire. More than 5,800 personnel are battling the blaze, using more than 500 fire engines and 40 helicopters. “This region, both Butte and Tehama (counties) … has had four of the largest 10 fires known in history,” Cal Fire Incident Commander Billy See said. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Park Fire had destroyed more than 360 structures and was 18% contained.

Oregon’s Durkee Fire

Oregon’s largest wildfire, the Durkee Fire, has charred more than 293,000 acres – with no rainfall in sight. The blaze, which was ignited by lightning near the Oregon-Idaho border on July 17, was 52% contained as of Wednesday morning, according to InciWeb. No rainfall is expected the rest of the week, and temperatures are expected to soar to triple digits by the weekend – potentially impairing firefighting efforts.

A National Trend

Across the country, 95 major wildfires are burning – scorching a combined 2.1 million acres (and counting), the National Interagency Fire Center said Wednesday. Among them, 35 infernos were spreading in Oregon, 12 in California and 10 in Idaho. “So far in 2024, 28,154 wildfires have burned 4,449,282 acres,” the fire center said. The amount of land torched so far this year is more than the square mileage of Connecticut. The agency stressed the need to have firefighters and firefighting resources available for an “initial attack” in areas with a high likelihood of fire breaking out. “The vast majority of fire starts are contained at small sizes within 24 hours of their discovery,” the fire center said.

A Call to Action

The recent surge in wildfires across the United States is a stark reminder of the dangers posed by climate change. As temperatures rise and droughts become more frequent, we can expect to see more and more wildfires in the years to come. It is essential that we take steps to mitigate these risks, including investing in wildfire prevention and response efforts, reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, and promoting sustainable land management practices.

In the meantime, residents in wildfire-prone areas should take steps to prepare for the possibility of a fire. This includes creating defensible space around homes, having an evacuation plan in place, and staying informed about fire danger conditions.

The Future of Fire

The fight against wildfires is a long-term battle, but one that we must win. By working together, we can protect our communities, our environment, and our future.

CNN’s Shania Baweja, Taylor Romine, Susannah Cullinane and Robert Shackelford contributed to this report.