‘Aspen Acres’ fire burns over 50,000 acres with 0% containment

KRDO13 will livestream a Press Conference at 3 p.m. Watch below:

CUSTER COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) has ordered mandatory evacuations due to the "Aspen Acres" fire, which is approximately 50,186 acres with 0% containment as of 1:30 p.m. on July 2.

Governor Jared Polis joined officials on July 2 during a press conference where he confirmed that around 160 structures have been lost, with more expected. Custer County officials confirmed that 55 homes have been lost in the county as of June 30.

Polis confirmed that at least 14 large air tankers are in Colorado, with some working on multiple fires across the state. Weather conditions remain a concern for officials.

Mandatory Evacuations:

• Red Creek Area, from Siloam Road East to the area of Red Creek Springs Road West and Highway 96 West
• Colorado City North of 165, west of Crow Cutoff to Table Mountain Church
• Red Creek Ranch area north of Highway 78, south of Highway 96, and west of Siloam Road.
• Town of Beulah
• Town of Rye
• Town of San Isabel
• Burnt Mill Rd East to Interstate 25
• South of Lake Isabel to Rye, 2 mile evacuation from San Isabel
• From Lazy Acres to Bishops Castle on Hwy 165
• 12 Mile Road
• 3R Road to Crow Cutoff
• Crow Cutoff west to Boulder Avenue
• Town of Wetmore

Below are maps provided by officials on July 2 at 1 p.m.

PRE-Evacuations:

• Colorado City
• West of Interstate 25 - Hatchet Ranch
• Areas of Huerfano County that would have to utilize evacuation routes though Colorado City.
• Properties along Highway 67, extending approximately 4.5 miles north of the Fremont-Custer County line, and encompassing residences 2 miles east and 2.5 miles west of the highway.

Road Closures:

• 3R Road
• Highway 165 Crow Cutoff Milepost 35
• Highway 165 Milepost 15 (Custer)
• Highway 165 closed from Milepost 0 (McKenzie Junction) to Milepost 35.1 N. Parkway in Colorado City
• Highway 165 at Mount Baldy
• Highway 165 and Greenhorn
• Burnt Mill to Interstate 25
• Highway 67 Milepost 3 (Custer)
• Highway 96 closed at Wetmore in both directions.
• Highway 96 eastbound from Hwy 67 with detour north to Florence on Hwy 67.
• Highway 96 and Custer County Road 387. 
• Highway 96 and Siloam Road.
• Highway 96 and Red Creek Road.
• Highway 96 East Bound from Highway 67, will detour north to Florence on Highway 67.
• Colorado Highway 165 is closed from Milepost 10 (McKenzie Junction) to Mile Post 31.4 (Beverly Drive in Colorado City)
• Colorado 78 is closed from Milepost 0 (at Colo. 165) to Mile Post 23 (at Rock Creek Road)and Milepost 14.
• Colorado 78 Siloam
• Colorado 78 Rock Creek Milepost 23
• Greenhorn/Oldhome

Evacuation shelters:

• Pueblo County: St. Charles Mesa Recreation Center
• 1650 Cooper Pl, Pueblo, Co, 81006
• Custer County: Lange Hall
• Lange South 3rd Street, Westcliffe, CO, 81252
• Custer County: Pathfinder Park
• Pathfinder Regional Park, Colorado 115, Florence, CO 81226
• Large animals/livestock: Colorado State Fairgrounds, enter through Gate 7 off Small Avenue
• Trucks and Trailers are staged at the Colorado State Fairgrounds for livestock evacuation needs. Please contact the Pueblo CART Livestock Division - Community Animal Response Team at 719-251-0245.
• A Disaster Assistance Center is open at the Pueblo Academy of Arts (formerly Pitts Middle School), 29 Lehigh Ave, Pueblo, CO 81005, for Pueblo County and Custer County residents who have been evacuated or impacted by the Aspen Acres Fire.
• The Disaster Assistance Center (DAC) is a one-stop resource center set up to assist survivors with the recovery process. Among the services that will be available at the center include victims' assistance, United Way of Southern Colorado, food, Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment, behavioral health, the Department of Human Services, Red Cross, agriculture support and private insurance.
• Individuals will be required to have proof of residency to enter the DAC, which can include photo ID with address, a piece of mail or other official document with address.
• The entrance to the DAC will be on the east side of the school, enter from the parking lot off of Colgate Lane. 

Evacuation transportation/shelter:

• City of Pueblo Fire is bussing people from Rye to the Evacuation Center in Pueblo (11650 Cooper Place), especially for the Elderly and disabled.
• Those seeking shelter should call: 1-844-975-1881 (English) 1-844-975-1882 (Spanish)

Custer County Residents:

• If you're a Custer County resident looking for information on your impacted area, please call Custer County's Non-Emergency number at 719-792-6411.

Donations:

• Prepackaged snacks @ 1650 Cooper Place. Water is not needed at 1650 Cooper Place as of 2:45 p.m.
• Donation information with United Way of Southern Colorado: Drop off much-needed supplies at United Way of Southern Colorado, 510 W. 3rd Street in Pueblo, Monday–Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• Visit www.unitedwaysoco.org/emergencyinfo to donate, view the current list of needed items, and learn more.

Firefighting efforts are now led by the Alaska Interagency Incident Management Team (AICC). The AICC is based in Alaska but serves all states and directly deploys to high-level threats.

Due to weather conditions, including strong winds, air support has at times been limited, according to PCSO. Smoke from the fire covers most of Pueblo County and likely will spread across nearby counties east and north.

Pueblo Health officials are urging residents to stay indoors due to poor air quality from smoke. As of 4 p.m. on July 1 officials confirmed the fire was two miles away from the popular tourist attraction Bishops Castle.

The Red Cross of Colorado said providing shelter to impacted families is its top priority right now. It said monetary donations are the quickest way to help their efforts.

This article will be updated

Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.