By Nick Smith and Cleo Westin

The Schwachheim fire has grown to 1,003 acres with 0% containment as it continued to burn several miles east of Interstate 25 near the Colorado-New Mexico border on Tuesday.

The fire prompted Gov. Jared Polis to issue a disaster declaration as it rapidly expanded on Monday. Authorities believe the fire was naturally caused on Sunday, more than 10 miles southeast of Trinidad, the National Interagency Fire Center reported.

Tuesday’s conditions, when winds reached 35 to 45 mph with humidity as low as 10%, could return later in the week, according to the National Weather Service in Pueblo.

The office has already issued a fire weather watch in southeastern Colorado for Thursday in anticipation of possible critical fire weather conditions. Eight counties were under a red flag warning on Tuesday, including parts of El Paso County, as officials take steps to address the risk across the region.

Stage 2 fire restrictions are in effect for Custer, El Paso, Fremont and Las Animas counties, while Costilla and Huerfano have implemented stage 1 restrictions.

The Weather Service has issued more red flag warnings year-to-date than any year on record, with 40, according to the agency’s data. The office issued 23 such warnings through April 14 last year.

In Las Animas County, Colorado Type 3 Incident Management Team has taken control of the Schwachheim fire, said Tracy LeClair, a spokesperson for the Wildland Fire Management Section of the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control.

There are over 100 personnel, at least two large air tankers and two helicopters currently working the blaze, according to county officials and the National Interagnecy Fire Center (NIFC). More resources have been requested.

No infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, LeClair said. The team’s top priority is to make sure the wildfire doesn’t spread to a watershed that Raton, N.M., uses.

A small campground and possible trail networks around the lake are the places that have sustained damage so far, LeClair said.

Officials have issued a temporary flight restriction in the airspace above the fire, which prohibits unauthorized aircraft, including drones.

The Lake Dorothey State Wildlife Area is closed until further notice, Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Dean Miller said. The agency will directly contact turkey hunting license holders affected by its closure.

Information for Las Animas County residents to sign up for emergency alerts can be found on the city of Trinidad’s website. Residents of El Paso and Teller counties can sign up for emergency notifications through Peak Alerts on the counties’ joint 911 authority website.

Firefighters continue their operations on the #SchwachheimFire in Las Animas County. Two Type 1 helicopters are operating in tandem to knock down the head of the fire, focusing on the north and east sides.

Video courtesy Colorado Parks and Wildlife / Blake Johnson @CPW_SE pic.twitter.com/9luuXkyeia

— Colorado Division of Fire Prevention & Control (@COStateFire) April 14, 2026