July 9th 2026
Fire crews hoping for quieter fire activity on the Aspen Acres Fire today.
The Aspen Acres Fire now stands at 96,031 acres burned with 16% containment as of last
night. Today there are 1,677 personnel working on the fire. Yesterday firefighters made
progress on the northwest and eastern sides of the fire toward Rye and Colorado City.
Firefighters have had limited access to the western side due to the steeper terrain and
limited access in the area. Slow progress has been made on the Lake Isabel side due to
the terrain. Pueblo County officials say most of the homes impacted by the fire are in
Beulah, with 192 homes and four commercial structures lost in the county. However,
Pueblo County has only assessed 67% of the affected homes, so that number is expected
to grow. In Custer County, 83 total homes were destroyed in the fire. The Fremont
County Sheriff yesterday said that the towns of Rockvale, Coal Creek and Williamsburg
have been downgraded to pre-evacuation status. The area north of the Fremont County
line is still under mandatory evacuation, however, and is still threatened by the fire. Fire
officials say that, in the next 48 to 72 hours, more evacuations are expected to be lifted,
but could change depending on fire conditions. Fire crews are hoping for quieter fire
activity today due to the precipitation received over the fire area last night. While the fire
has not received enough rain to put the fire out, the rain, humidity and cooler
temperatures are enough to give crews a break from the recent high fire activity.
New wildfire spotted in Huerfano County yesterday.
What's being called the "Pole Canyon Fire" was spotted yesterday morning around
9:30am in the area southeast of greenhorn mountain in Huerfano County. Firefighters
responded to the area to investigate smoke and have been working to contain the fire. As
of yesterday afternoon, the fire had burned a little less than 2 acres. No structures are
threatened. Air support has been assisting with water drops as crews work to contain the
fire. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
Much Police activity took place in Walsenburg yesterday afternoon.
Much police activity took place in Walsenburg yesterday afternoon with police
surrounding the laundromat at the corner of 6th and Hendren, as well as police detaining a
man across the street from 7-Eleven. Most of the activity, however, was centered around
Seventh Street just west of City Park with police cordoning off much of the block
between Olive Street and Ash Avenue. A sheet-draped body could be seen on the
sidewalk in front of 811 west 7th. Police would only comment that officers were securing
the scene while they waited for the arrival of an outside investigative agency.
Missing prospector found safe in Mineral County Tuesday.
Marvin Lord, a missing prospector who vanished during what was supposed to be a short
hike in Mineral County was found safe Tuesday after wandering the rugged Colorado
wilderness for over two days. Lord was reported missing on Sunday at 11:30pm while
prospecting near Fox Mountain Road, also known as Forest Service Road 381. A multi
agency search effort began on Monday. A breakthrough came Tuesday Afternoon when
two women reported they had seen a man walking near Tucker Ponds on Pass Creek
Road. Lord was found uninjured and has been reunited with his family.
Town of La Veta announces Stage 4 Water Restrictions.
The Town of La Veta has announced that they have implemented Stage 4 Water
Restrictions due to a critical shortage of water. With stage 4 water restrictions, the
following is prohibited: no outdoor watering, no washing of vehicles, and no filling of
swimming pools, hot tubs or fountains. The town says the restrictions are mandatory and
will be enforced for all businesses and community members. For more information, call
The La Veta Town Hall at 719-742-3631.
July 8th 2026
Aspen Acres Fire growth slows significantly.
Growth on the Aspen Acres Fire has slowed significantly with the fire only increasing by
less than 300 acres yesterday. As of last night, fire officials say that the fire has burned
93,916 acres and is now 16% contained. The Custer County Sheriff's Office says that 81
homes have been destroyed in Custer County. Additionally, two homes have major
damage, five have minor damage and one was "affected" in Custer County. Pueblo
County says that 185 homes have been lost, for a total of 266 homes lost to the fire.
Custer County officials say if you are an evacuee and have not received an evacuation
card, you are asked to visit The Custer County School's west gym to get a card. You will
need the card to get back into the evacuated area. Pueblo County residents who were
evacuated should get an evacuation re-entry card from the disaster assistance center at the
Pueblo Academy of the Arts in Pueblo. State officials say that people who get their water
from the pine drive water district or signal mountain ranch property owners water
company should not use their tap water for anything except showering or watering. Use
bottled water for anything else, including drinking, cooking and brushing teeth. The state
also says that returning evacuees who have private wells should use bottled water right
now due to possible well contamination and damage. No changes in evacuation or pre-
evacuation status were made yesterday.
Alamosa man plead guilty in 2024 case Monday.
Larry Chavez, 35, of Alamosa, plead guilty to second degree assault and felony
manslaughter on Monday in connection with the 2024 death of Enrique Parra, 44, of
Alamosa. Chavez was sentenced to 24 years, with an additional 11 years for being a
habitual criminal, making the total sentence 35 years in the department of corrections. As
a habitual criminal, Chavez will not be eligible for parole until he's served 85% of his
sentence, or a little less than 30 years. Chavez reportedly had an argument with Parra on
August 1st of 2024, ending in Chavez shooting Parra. Parra was taken to the hospital
where he was declared deceased. Chavez was arrested in Santa Fe, New Mexico the
following day.
Trailer fire closed one lane of I-25 in Pueblo yesterday.
A trailer fire yesterday closed one northbound lane on Interstate 25 in Pueblo. According
to The Colorado Department of Transportation, the right lane was closed due to the fire
around 10:30am in the southbound lanes of the interstate between 29th street and 13th
street. Pueblo firefighters said that the trailer fire would require extensive cleanup before
the lane could be reopened. The Southbound right lane did reopen around 11:30am.
Alamosa man arrested in 4th of July shooting case.
Cletus Rinebarger, 68, of Alamosa, was arrested for his alleged involvement in a shooting
that took place on Saturday, July 4th. According to The Alamosa County Sheriff's Office,
deputies responded to the 5400 Block of Stanley Road on Saturday around 10:15am on
the report of a shooting. Upon arrival, deputies located an adult male suffering from an
apparent gunshot wound. The victim was transferred to a front range hospital for medical
care. Rinebarger is being held on attempted first degree murder and first degree assault.
Investigators believe this is an isolated incident and there is no known threat to the public
at this time.
Big Sheep Fire in Huerfano County officially 100% contained.
The Big Sheep Fire that was originally reported on Monday, June 29th, on the moonshine
ranch near big sheep mountain, is now 100% contained. The fire burned approximately
1,322 acres. The state incident management team returned control of the fire to The
Huerfano County Government on Monday around 6am.
Click here
