Per a morning report on July 9, the Aspen Acres Fire that burns southwest of Pueblo is reportedly 96,121 acres in size with 14 percent containment, meaning growth of about 90 acres over the past 24 hours. With some residents in the impacted area being able to recently return to their homes, the true extent of the damage that the fire has caused remains unknown.

Reports of how many homes have been damaged vary wildly depending on the source, with officials most recently saying that “at least 275 homes in Pueblo and Custer counties” have been burned, per reporting from the Colorado Sun. That said, reporting from AccuWeather based on Vexcel’s Gray Sky service indicates the number of structures impacted may be much higher.

Per the AccuWeather report, Vexcel’s damage intelligence service – which utilizes a fleet of aircraft across the U.S. to document natural disasters – identified 780 structures that were burned, though smoke reportedly prevented analysis in several areas, thus that number could climb. In total, the service was able to analyze a total of 7,829 buildings.

Meanwhile, the Beulah Fire Protection and Ambulance District previously confirmed the loss of 193 primary residences, though this didn’t include outbuildings.

Only time will tell how many homes were lost, with a more accurate and specific count likely coming in days and weeks to come.

As was expected, some precipitation fell on the fire on Wednesday, though this was described by officials as more of a “slowing event” with a lot of heat still present: “any beneficial impacts are short lived.” That said, the rain was noted as providing an opportunity to mop up some parts of the fire. On Thursday, firefighting crews will also be focusing on areas that didn’t get rain as the fight against the fire continues.

Find additional updates here.

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