Aspen Acres Fire Reaches 98,100 Acres, 35% Contained as Beulah Re-Entry Planned
Description: The Aspen Acres Fire has grown to 98,100 acres and is now 35% contained. Officials are planning a phased re-entry for Beulah residents starting July 13, weather permitting...
Published: 5 hours ago
Byline: SECO News
Aspen Acres Fire Update
Sunday, July 12, 2026 – 8:00 a.m.
Alaska Complex Incident Management Team 1
Jake Livingston, Incident Commander
Size: 98,100 | Containment: 35% | Total Personnel: Approximately 1,934
Location: 10 Miles NW of Rye, CO in Custer and Pueblo Counties
Reported: June 29, 2026, at 6:00 a.m. | Cause: Human, Under Investigation
Fire Information Phone Line: 719.697.8353 | Email: 2026.aspenacres@firenet.gov
Community Meeting: Sheriff Smith is hosting a community meeting for Custer County Residents in Westcliffe. It will be held on Sunday, July 12 at 7pm at the Wet Mountain Valley Saddle Club Rodeo Arena, 90 County Road 241. The Alaska Complex Incident Management Team #1 will be supporting Sheriff Smith for the meeting and providing a live broadcast on Facebook.
Fire Update: Hundreds of firefighters on the ground have spent nearly two weeks firefighting, with long nights of monitoring and patrol, hot days of digging line, a fleet of aircraft helping to keep the fire in check, drones identifying hot spots, dozers and heavy equipment constructing line, and so much more. Efforts are producing good results. Although containment is gradually increasing, there’s still more work ahead.
On the west side of the fire, firefighters initiated burning operations on Saturday night between the constructed line and the wildfire near Mingus Ranch. Their preparation, timing, and execution are generating the desired results. This operation continues on Sunday.
Active fire and high heat remain south of San Isabel and north of Rye near North Muddy Creek. Miles of dozer line are being constructed and firefighting aircraft continue to support crews and operations on the ground. Crews continue to extinguish hot spots, patrol perimeters, and protect structures.
In the uncontained portion of the northeast side of the fire, pockets of heat are hiding in the duff, or the layers of organic matter on top of soil. Crews are vigilantly monitoring these areas and extinguishing heat as it is detected. They are also patrolling the perimeter as containment lines are tested by hot, dry conditions forecast this week.
Landowner Contacts: The response to the request for landowner permission to access properties to the west of Rye has been overwhelming! The volume of calls caused our phone system to crash several times on Saturday. We were able to accept nearly 150 calls, plus many voicemail messages and email. If you are still trying to contact us, please send an email to: 2026.aspenacres@firenet.gov.
Weather: A high pressure system is building in the region, bringing hot, dry, and windy conditions. The wind pattern is expected to be from the east or east-southeast throughout the week. A chance of afternoon thunderstorms persists.
Fire Behavior: As temperatures and winds increase in the afternoon, fire activity is again expected to increase on the west side of the fire. Fuels remain extremely receptive to fire.
Fire Restrictions & Closures: There is an Aspen Acres Fire Area Closure for the San Carlos Ranger District. Visit:
Please monitor land managing agencies for other fire restrictions.
Evacuations: All evacuations are managed by the respective county sheriffs. Custer, Pueblo, Fremont, and Huerfano Counties have evacuations and pre-evacuations in place.
There is a TENTATIVE and phased re-entry plan for Beulah residents beginning Monday, July 13, unless fire conditions change. To ensure everyone can return safely and efficiently, residents are asked to follow their assigned re-entry time and route and not arrive before their designated time. Before returning, residents must obtain a re-entry card from the Disaster Assistance Center (DAC), located at 29 Lehigh Ave., Pueblo. The DAC is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Please call the Joint Information Center (JIC) at 719-583-4640 for information about closures, evacuations, Disaster Assistance Center (DAC) information, and more for Pueblo and Custer Counties. Huerfano and Fremont County residents should visit their county’s social media pages or call 719-738-1044 for Huerfano County dispatch and 719-276-7421 for the Fremont County Emergency Operations Center.
There is a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) in place above the fire area. Flying any aircraft within the TFR is prohibited. This includes the use of drones, or unmanned aerial systems.
Air Quality: An Air Resource Advisor is assigned to the incident and assessing where communities may be impacted by smoke. To get daily air quality information, visit https://fire.airnow.gov/
The public and members of the media should monitor the following official websites:
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