One of three wildfires burning in Colorado reached historic proportions on Monday, while another fire was now “out of control.”

The Lee fire — which is raging southwest of Meeker in Rio Blanco County — grew to 113,378 acres by Monday morning, according to the Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office.

The fire, which began on Aug. 2, has become the fifth largest in state history, rising above the Spring Creek fire that burned 108,045 acres in 2018.

The nearby Elk fire, east of Meeker, burned 14,635 acres by Monday but has stopped growing since Sunday morning. By Monday afternoon, the fire sits at 30% containment, up significantly from 9% on Sunday, according to state officials.

In southern Colorado, the Oak fire west of Pagosa Springs has grown “out of control” since it began on Sunday, according to the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office.

The fire, at around 150 acres as of Monday afternoon, warranted a disaster emergency declaration from Gov. Jared Polis on Sunday.

Lee fire grows

The Lee fire is thought to have been caused by lightning over a week ago.

On Sunday morning, the fire razed 106,672 acres, surpassing the 2012 High Park fire that burned 87,284 acres, according to the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control.

The state’s fourth largest fire — the 2002 Hayman fire — had charred 137,760 acres.

The third biggest blaze was the 2020 Pine Gulch fire at 139,007 acres; the second was the 2020 East Troublesome fire at 193,812 acres; and the largest ever in Colorado was the 2020 Cameron Peak fire at 208,913 acres.

The Lee fire was at 7% containment Monday afternoon, according to the sheriff’s office. Twelve aircrafts, 24 hand crews, 60 engines and 10 heavy equipment vehicles are fighting the flames.

The Air Force Reserve’s 302nd Airlift Wing also provided air support on Saturday and Sunday, dropping 14,571 gallons of retardant on the fire. That effort was directed by the National Interagency Fire Center.

Firefighters on the north side of the fire continued to strengthen fire lines near the Highway 64 corridor throughout the day, according to a news release from the Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team. 

The south side of the fire proved to be more challenging for firefighters, with high wind gusts in the area during the day. Crews worked to keep the fire west of Highway 13 on Monday morning, despite it slightly hopping over the highway on Sunday. 

Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for Zones 20, 22, 25, 50, 51, 62, 63, 64 and 65, which are primarily south and west of Meeker, on Sunday.

Zone 51 was downgraded to yellow status around 10 a.m. on Monday morning, meaning people are not required to evacuate but could be at any moment’s notice.

Zones 40 and 55 have been downgraded to green status, meaning the danger is less but residents should still be prepared to evacuate at any time.

Along with the residential evacuations, the Colorado Department of Corrections evacuated the Rifle Correctional Center on Saturday evening, moving 179 inmates to the Buena Vista Correctional Complex.

Firefighters make headway against Elk fire 

The Elk Fire, around 10 miles east of Meeker, scorched 14,635 acres Monday, but it hasn’t grown since Sunday morning. Containment surged from just 9% on Sunday to 30%, state officials said.

The fire also started on Aug. 2 and rapidly spread due to dry conditions and the presence of pinyon, juniper and oak brush, according to the Bureau of Land Management.

Fire crews tightened lines along County Road 8 to the south and in the Beaver Creek drainage to the east Monday. Flames are still flickering within the burn zone, but firefighters are keeping the fire within the zone through strengthened lines.

Oak fire receives FEMA funds

After it was declared a disaster on Sunday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs in Archuleta County, according to a news release.

The fire began on Sunday on Oak Drive and has grown out of control, according to the sheriff’s office. It jumped from 75 acres to around 150 acres Sunday evening.

As of Monday evening, the fire had threatened more than 5,100 buildings and 2,000 homes, according to a news release from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 

A mandatory evacuation order has been issued for a one-mile radius around 38 Spruce Circle in Aspen Springs, the Elk Park subdivision and homes off Ironwood Drive due to the Oak fire, according to the sheriff’s office.

Polis also authorized the use of the National Guard as needed to support the wildfire Sunday.

“The Oak fire is the third Fire Management Assistance Grant FEMA has approved in Colorado in the last several days. FEMA stands by to offer continued support to the State of Colorado to ensure federal resources are available for firefighting efforts,” FEMA Region 8 Acting Administrator Katherine Fox said in the news release.

The 302d Airlift Wing plane also helped fight the fire Sunday, dropping 2,769 gallons of retardant on the area.

Wildfire facts

• All 20 of the largest wildfires have occurred in the last 20 years (since 2001).

• 16 of the top 20 largest wildfires have occurred in the last 13 years (since 2008).

• 15 of the top 20 largest wildfires have occurred in the last 9 years (since 2012).

• 11 of the top 20 largest wildfires have occurred in the last 5 years (since 2016).

• 9 of the top 20 largest wildfires have occurred in the last 3 years (2018 and 2020).

• 4 of the top 5 largest wildfires have occurred in the last 3 years (2018 and 2020).