Aspen Acres Fire Update: 101,961 Acres, 67% Contained as Greenhorn Mountain Wilderness Reopens and Flash Flood Watch Remains in Effect

Description: The Aspen Acres Fire has reached 101,961 acres with 67% containment as firefighters continue mop-up and suppression repair near Rye, Colorado. Greenhorn Mountain Wilderness has reopened via select trailheads, while a Flash Flood Watch remains in effect through Friday evening.

Aspen Acres Fire Update - July 31, 2026

Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 3

Casey Cheesbrough, Jay Miller and Troy Phelps, Incident Commanders Fire Information: 719-697-8353 Operational Hours: 8am-8pm

Size: 101,961 acres | Containment: 67% | Cause: Human | Start Date: June 29, 2026 Location: 10 Miles NW of Rye, CO | Total Personnel: 625

KEY MESSAGES:

The Pike and San Isabel National Forests closure area has been reduced to align with the current fire situation. The Greenhorn Mountain Wilderness is now open. Access is only through the Bartlett and Greenhorn trailheads out of Rye, as State Highway 165 remains closed. The remaining area closure is still in effect for public and firefighter safety. Visitors accessing these newly opened areas should remain alert for fire personnel and equipment.

CURRENT SITUATION:

Yesterday, fire activity continued to moderate due to recent precipitation across the fire area. This moisture helped limit fire spread and allowed firefighters to focus on securing existing control lines and initiating repair operations. Today, crew activities are focused on securing control lines, mop-up, and completing suppression repair.

Near Rye and San Isabel, firefighters are mopping up and securing the "black edge" along control lines, which involves extinguishing lingering heat to ensure the fire does not cross the line. Suppression repair activities are ongoing in this area, including felling of weakened trees along roads, pulling trees away from the fireline, and piling slash. Aviation resources remain active, scouting for interior heat and identifying any areas that may pose a threat to the line.

Along the north and eastern perimeters, suppression repair continues, working to minimize future impacts from fire suppression activities. This work includes repairing hand lines by pulling small brush back over the line to minimize soil erosion. Crews are removing unneeded equipment, such as pumps, water tanks, and hose lays so they can be cleaned and returned to regional fire caches for future use. Additionally, firefighters are performing directional felling to support Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) prescriptions, which focus on stabilizing steep slopes and mitigating erosion in fire- impacted areas.

WEATHER

A Flash Flood Watch is in effect for the Aspen Acres fire through Friday evening due to the high potential for thunderstorms to produce flash flooding and debris flows. Thunderstorms are likely to develop by late morning and continue into the evening with locally heavy rain of over 0.5" possible. Slightly cooler temperatures and higher relative humidities are expected to accompany the thunderstorms.

CLOSURE AND EVACUATIONS

There is a Fire Area Closure on the San Carlos Ranger District of the Pike, San Isabel, Comanche and Cimarron National Forest. Visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/psicc/alerts/aspen-acres-fire-area-closure. There is a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) in place above the fire area. This restriction was reduced on July 29th. Flying any aircraft within the TFR is prohibited. This includes the use of drones, or unmanned aerial systems. For evacuation information please visit Pueblo County: www.puebloemergency.info, Custer County: https://www.facebook.com/CCSOAdmin, or Huerfano County: https://huerfano.us/aspen-acres-fire-rye-huerfano/

AIR QUALITY

There is continued good air quality for most of the Aspen Acres fire area today. Drier weather going into the weekend may bring increased smoke and poorer air quality in communities closest to the fire. To get daily air quality information, visit https://fire.airnow.gov/

Aspen Acres Fire Information

Phone: (719) 697-8353 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.)

Email: Email 2026.aspenacres@firenet.gov

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AspenAcresFire2026

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