Weekly Colorado WildFire Update July

Rocky Mountain Fire Watch | Weekly Briefing: July 6, 2026

A massive thank you to the thousands of wildland firefighters, aviation crews, and incident management teams working across our region this week. When the environment throws its worst—including 100 mph wind gusts—our crews answer the call.

Here is your look at where we stand across Colorado and the Rocky Mountains:

WEEKLY WINS & PROGRESS

• Aspen Acres Fire (Custer/Pueblo Counties, CO): Incredible progress this weekend! Despite erratic, extreme winds early in the week, milder weather on the Fourth of July allowed crews to make an aggressive push. They successfully bolstered protective lines around homes on the northwestern flank and secured lines along Highway 165, bringing containment up to 14%.

• Sheep Head Fire (Huerfano County, CO): A huge win for the region—crews successfully reached 100% containment on this 1,322-acre fire over the weekend.

  National Interagency Fire Center

  
  

• Regional Support: We are seeing incredible interstate teamwork. California has deployed 15 CAL FIRE engines and 53 personnel to help Colorado battle the Aspen Acres fire—the first-ever deployment of its kind between our states under a national mutual aid partnership.

  - Governor of California - CA.gov -

  
  

ACTIVE INCIDENT UPDATES (COLORADO) Aspen Acres Fire (Custer & Pueblo Counties)

• Size: 89,054 acres

  National Interagency Fire Center

  
  

• Containment: 14%

• The Strategy: This is currently the top firefighting priority in the nation. Over 734 personnel, supported by large air tankers and National Guard soldiers, are actively constructing fire lines and aggressively protecting structures around Colorado City, Rye, and Siloam Road. While it has become the 7th largest wildfire in state history, zero fatalities have been reported.

  - The Colorado Sun -

  
  

Ferris Fire (San Juan National Forest / Southwest CO)

• Size: 47,780 acres

  -WildFire Explorer - Cornea-

  
  

• Containment: 21%

• The Strategy: Firefighters are actively working to establish solid containment lines. The fire has been pushing down Doe Canyon toward the Dolores River Canyon, and crews are focused on navigating the critically dry, drought-stressed fuels in the area.

  -WildFire Explorer - Cornea-

  
  

Gold Mountain Fire (Ouray County / Grand Mesa)

• Size: 27,698 acres

  -Wikipedia-

  
  

• Containment: 3%

• The Strategy: Steep terrain and historically dry vegetation are making direct attack difficult. Crews are heavily focused on structure protection and finding safe anchor points to build indirect containment lines to box the fire in.

  - The Colorado Sun -

  
  

Willow Fire (Leadville, CO)

• Size: 3,987 acres

  - National Interagency Fire Center -

  
  

• Containment: 1%

• The Strategy: Firefighters are scoping out safe areas to slow the fire's spread to the north and scouting future containment options in the Halfmoon Creek area, heavily supported by aerial water drops.

  
  

BROADER REGIONAL WATCH Conditions remain historically dry across the West. Utah is currently battling massive, complex incidents alongside us, including the Cottonwood Fire (95,807 acres, 47% contained) and the fast-moving Babylon Fire (90,445 acres, 0% contained).

NESDIS - NOAA -

Community Reminder: Conditions remain highly volatile across Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah, and the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) has issued active fuels advisories for the region. Please maintain your defensible space, and never rely on social media for evacuation updates. Always listen directly to your local Sheriff’s Office.

National Interagency Fire Center

Official Source & Daily Maps: All data in this update is sourced directly from InciWeb and the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). For real-time operational updates, interactive maps, and official closure/evacuation notices,

visit: InciWeb Incident Information System

Stay safe, and thank a first responder!