2024 accident on Rio Grande Trail results in litigation
Lawsuit: Injured bicyclist sues e-bicyclist who declined to provide name on scene
Aspen News
Safety
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A cyclist rides on the Rio Grande Trail near Wheatley Open Space on Thursday, in the vicinity of the July 4, 2024, bicycle accident that is now part of ongoing litigation....
Lawsuit blames southern Colorado electric company for starting, spreading Aspen Acres fire
Property owners allege the power company should have cleared trees and organic matter than fueled the nearly 100,000-acre blaze
Thursday update: Fishhook Fire spreads to 347 acres; 0% contained
The Fishhook Fire, located 1.5 miles north of U.S. Highway 40 just southeast of Steamboat Ski Resort, has spread to 347 acres and is 0% contained as of 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, according to Routt National Forest Service Public Affairs Specialist Aaron Voos. Voos told newspaper s...
Fuller: Please protect Woody Creek
The proposed expansion of the Woody Creek racetrack into a 10-car racetrack and shooting range poses a direct threat to Woody Creek’s way of life. While the project is located on one property, its impacts, including increased noise, fire danger, water usage, traffic, light pollut...
Aspen Acres fire leaps over containment line as hot, dry conditions continue in southern Colorado
The fire, the largest currently burning in the state, was estimated at 99,820 acres. Plus: updates on the Gold Mountain, Willow, Ferris, Fishhook, Green Ridge and Elk fires....
Anticipated rain for Colorado’s mountains has forecasters starting to say ‘the monsoon is here’
The North American monsoon season is ramping up across the West, with the potential to bring much-needed rain as Colorado faces a historic drought and major wildfires, according to forecasters. National Weather Service forecaster Kris Sanders said that widespread, scattered sh...
What to know about navigating homeowners insurance amid wildfires
As wildfires burn across Colorado, homeowners whose properties are at risk — or have been destroyed — must navigate a complex insurance system. The Aspen Acres Fire, currently the seventh-largest in state history, has burned more than 99,000 acres across Pueblo and Custer cou...
Aspen Acres fire remains “serious threat” to homes in southern Colorado as new team takes command
The fire is 36% contained and remains a serious threat to the town of Rye. Plus: Updates on the Gold Mountain, Willow and Ferris fires.
Willow Fire caused by human activity, fire investigators say after reaching origin point near Leadville
The Willow Fire started near the Leadville National Fish Hatchery in the late afternoon Sunday, June 28, and investigators have now determined it was caused by human activity. The Lake County Government’s information page about the fire states investigators from the U.S. Fores...
Started hours apart, 2 Routt County fires challenge local response
Routt County’s first two notable wildfires of the season ignited within two hours of each other Sunday afternoon, prompting evacuation orders, road closures and a multi-agency response across the region. The first wildfire start, located just north of Rabbit Ears Pass and fou...
Hotter weather, stronger winds provide no relief as Aspen Acres fire approaches 100,000 acres
The wildfire burning across Pueblo and Custer Counties was 36% contained Tuesday morning. Plus: Updates on the Gold Mountain, Ferris and Willow fires.
Vehicle fire ignites on Woody Creek racetrack
Spreads to brush and grass, contained at less than 1 acre
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A car at the Woody Creek auto racetrack caught fire shortly before 1 p.m. Monday. The fire was contained to less than an acre with no injuries reported....
Skinner: French firefly sparks wonder
I finally saw my first firefly of the summer. This is huge because I used to live among them in the Crystal River Valley. I saw them...
Vehicle fire contained near Woody Creek
Aspen Fire Protection District successfully contained a vehicle fire near Twining Flats after multiple 911 callers reported a smoke column in the Woody Creek area Monday. Pano AI cameras — operated in partnership between the Aspen Fire Protection District, the city of Aspen, P...
Colorado Division of Insurance to host virtual town hall on wildfire insurance issues
The Colorado Division of Insurance will host a virtual town hall covering wildfire insurance issues on Wednesday, July 15, at 5 p.m., according to a news release. Colorado Insurance Commissioner Michael Conway and division staff will cover topics including homeowners insurance...
Voss: Basic first aid principles to help your pet
Accidents are part of life when you share it with an adventurous dog. Here in Aspen, our pets spend far more time outside than the average American dog. They scramble over rocky trails, run alongside sharp ski edges, chase squirrels into groundhog holes and occasionally discover ...
Heat, wind expected to intensify Colorado wildfires as Aspen Acres nears 100,000 acres
The Aspen Acres fire, in Pueblo and Custer counties, remains Colorado’s largest wildfire at 98,609 acres. Crews are also battling growth on fires near Ouray, Leadville and Dolores....
Aspen Acres fire took everything from them but their lives. Here’s how a few Colorado survivors are facing an uncertain future.
Some locals fled the fire moments before it consumed their homes and land. Others never had a chance to gather any of their belongings.
Wildland firefighters say things are ‘basically as dry as they can get’ in Colorado’s forests — fueling ‘schizophrenic’ wildfire behavior
A historic drought is turning Colorado’s mountain landscapes into a tinderbox. After last winter’s record-low snowpack, wildland firefighters who continuously monitor indexes of weather and climate data to help predict wildfire risk and how conditions might affect fire behavio...
Colorado realtors’ foundation sets up grant for residents impacted by wildfires
The Colorado Association of Realtors Foundation has started a fund to help homeowners address damages from wildfires burning across the state, according to a news release. The foundation will provide grants up to $1,500 per household to help Coloradans who “have lost their hom...
Skies clear — for now — after smoke fills Roaring Fork Valley
Mitigating health risks of low air quality as wildfire risks increase
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The Willow Fire near Telluride ignited on June 28. As of Saturday, it had reached 5,342 acres and was at 22% containment.
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Hussam Mahmoud, an international authority on wildfire resilience and community-scale risk reduction and director of the Vanderbilt Center for Sustainability, Energy and Climate, works on fire and smoke modeling in the Roaring Fork Valley....
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A smoky sunset seen from Hunter Creek in Aspen on June 29. Multiple large fires were burning in Colorado to the southwest, west and east of Aspen.
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Smoke is visible on July 10 looking toward Ridgway and Ouray coming down Dallas Divide. The Gold Mountain and Elk fires are burning in the area.
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The Prineville Hotshots take a break on July 8 as the Ferris Fire, located in southwestern Colorado, makes another push up the canyon.
Woodruff: Philanthropic support needed for wildfire prevention efforts
All this past winter, my hiking boots were striking dry trails or crunchy grasses when we should have been donning skate skis...
Public safety officials report low number of personal firework incidents over July Fourth weekend
Prior to Independence Day, Eagle County law enforcement made a call to action for Eagle County residents and tourists alike to follow Stage 2 fire restrictions over the course of the busy holiday. This included personal firework usage, which concerned some officials who were ...
Beulah water teams assess Aspen Acres damage to utilities, while working through losses, evacuations
Water managers are taking the first steps toward supplying clean water to their communities after the wildfire, but it will be a long road. Most other active fires in Colorado have missed critical water systems....
Aspen Acres fire could burn for a “long duration” and last into winter
Firefighters main concern is stopping flames from marching west. The Aspen Acres and Ferris fires now rank among the state’s 10th largest on record.
Firefighters in Beulah recount desperate battle against “monster” blaze fueled by 100 mph winds
For Beulah’s volunteer fire department, the Aspen Acres fire was a nightmare scenario they had trained for: a fast-moving blaze that forced the 27-member department to fight to protect neighbors’ homes...
Guest column: Wildfire smoke raises health concerns
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has recently issued Air Quality Health Advisories for wildfire smoke in many Colorado counties, including Garfield County. CDPHE recommends that people stay indoors if smoke becomes thick in their neighborhoods. That is ...
Aspen Acres fire has destroyed 780 structures across Pueblo and Custer counties, new aerial analysis shows
The estimate from Vexcel Data, a private company that flies over natural disasters, includes garages, barns and sheds. It exceeds official county reports, which remain incomplete as damage assessments continue....
Juvenile on scooter injured in accident with vehicle
Incident under investigation as of Thursday evening
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Aspen Police Chief Kim Ferber stands in front of the scene of an accident involving a juvenile on a scooter and a vehicle exiting a parking garage on the 200 block of E. Hyman Avenue. The juvenile suffered “unknown” injuries…...
A contradiction — no fires or are some permitted?
John Norman — Maybe I am missing something! The article in The Aspen Times states in paragraph two: ‘Stage 2 fire restrictions...
More Pueblo County residents returning home after firefighters double containment of Aspen Acres blaze
Crews are making progress on fires across the state, but those fighting the Aspen Acres fire anticipate their efforts will continue for weeks
Wildfire management top-of-mind for western governors in meeting with US Forest Service chief
As wildfires rage across the West, governors are asking the U.S. Forest Service how state and federal agencies can better partner on management and prevention. The question hung over a panel discussion during a June 30 meeting of the Western Governors’ Association in Deer Val...
Vehicle crash with scooter causes injury in downtown Aspen
Aspen Police responded to an injury crash — a vehicle versus a juvenile on a scooter — in the 200 block of East Hyman on Thursday. They responded at approximately 11:30 a.m., according to a press release. The juvenile suffered unknown injuries and is currently being treated at...
Colorado Trail Explorer app shares wildfire alerts for outdoor recreationists
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is reminding the Colorado outdoor community that the Colorado Trail Explorer — also known as COTREX — mobile app displays active fire alerts, which include wildfires and prescribed burns in covered areas. To access these alerts, users can open the ...
Aspen Acres fire sees some rain relief as crews fight into 11th day, but threat of flash flooding emerges
While rain and higher humidity should reduce Colorado wildfire spread, wind and flash flooding across the burn scar could bring new danger
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Members of the city of Aspen Parks and Open Space and the Aspen Police Department attempt to drive bear cubs away from populated areas in September 2025. Bears are coming out much earlier than normal this summer because of the…...
Disaster relief groups like the Red Cross are providing aid to thousands fleeing 3 major wildfires in Colorado
As major wildfires burn across Colorado, forcing thousands to evacuate their homes, volunteers are stepping in to help feed, shelter and support those fleeing fires. Dozens of recreational vehicles have filled Darren Patterson Christian Academy’s parking lot in Buena Vista thi...
Local news in brief, July 8
Western Colorado fire info released Tuesday
Colorado River, public lands reopen as Snyder Fire containment increases
State and federal agencies are starting to reopen public lands, state wildlife areas and a segment of the Colorado River that were closed in light of the Snyder Fire in Mesa County. Stage 2 fire restrictions — banning all open fire or flames, including charcoal grills and woo...
Showers and thunderstorms forecast for Colorado’s high country as wildfires rage across the state
Following several days of hot, dry weather, Colorado’s Western Slope is poised to see a period of rainy skies with possible thunderstorms ahead of what meteorologists expect to be an active monsoon season arriving later this summer. Beginning Tuesday, a wave of energy is expec...
Aspen Acres damage toll rises as Beulah fire chief reports 193 homes burned in fire
Officials said Wednesday the fire has burned at least 275 homes in Pueblo and Custer counties
Snowmass Town Council moves to authorize enforcement of Pitkin County fire restrictions
Snowmass Town Council unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance Monday to authorize the enforcement of Pitkin County fire restrictions. The Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners adopted Ordinance No. 013-2026 earlier this year, according to a staff report su...
Aspen Acres fire grows to nearly 94,000 acres as forecasters eye chance of rain
Moisture could bring scattered showers to the fire Wednesday, but hot, dry and windy conditions are expected to return by the weekend
PHOTOS: ACES hosts annual Raptor Fair at Hallam Lake in Aspen
The Aspen Center for Environmental Studies hosted its annual Raptor Fair on Friday at Hallam Lake in Aspen. Unfortunately, due to some of the wildfires in the state, the visiting birds from Nature’s Educators were not able to attend. Despite this, guests were still able to lea...
Remembering the Storm King 14
Thirty-two years after 14 wildland firefighters were killed on Storm King Mountain, Glenwood Springs continues to remember the people whose deaths reshaped the community and wildland firefighting across the country. The South Canyon Fire, better known locally as the Storm King...
Where are wildfires creating the most smoke on Colorado’s Western Slope?
Smoke is continuing to waft through the mountains from wildfires burning in Colorado and neighboring states, prompting health advisories due to air quality. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has issued an air quality health advisory through at least Tues...
Aspen Acres destruction climbs to 263 homes lost in Pueblo, Custer counties
More than 1,300 personnel were assigned to the fire burning southwest of Pueblo as of Monday
Damage assessment teams begin work in Aspen Acres fire zone as weather gives firefighters an edge
Weather conditions will likely give firefighters working to contain the massive Aspen Acres fire an edge again Sunday. “Yesterday was our first day without red flag warnings and we have no red flag warnings for today,” Operations Section Chief Brad Washa, of Alaska Complex Inc...
With new austere emergency care training, Eagle County emergency providers can save lives in any scenario
Eagle County Paramedic Services is expanding the width of paramedic abilities to be ready for any emergency, especially in the outdoors. The paramedics team recently hosted austere emergency care training for 11 of its paramedics to learn to respond to prolonged medical emerge...
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A vintage Aspen Fire Protection District truck cruises down Main Street in Aspen’s Fourth of July parade on Saturday.
Battlement Trail Fire 99% contained
The Battlement Trail Fire, which prompted evacuations near the Battlement Mesa Golf Course on Sunday, is now 99% contained. The fire started at about 4:45 p.m. Sunday, and burned 20.8 acres, according to an update from the Grand Valley Fire Protection District. Fire crews will...
Bridging Bionics gala raises necessary funds to change lives
On Dec. 27, 2024, a skiing accident left New Mexico-resident Ulrich John paralyzed. He had been a professional skier and was simply giving his son a ski lesson on a green run when he suddenly lost his balance. Last March, he participated in Bridging Bionics’ newest initiative, th...