Wildfires scorch Colorado as crews race to fortify containment lines

Aspen Acres, Gold Mountain, Ferris and other blazes are threatening communities across Colorado as firefighters juggle air attacks and prep for monsoon weather
By Justin George at Colorado Sun · · 1 min read

Aspen Acres, Gold Mountain, Ferris and other blazes are threatening communities across Colorado as firefighters juggle air attacks and prep for monsoon weather
Local journalism across Colorado, Florida, and national newsrooms — part of the Nexcom Media network of independent publications.
Recent reporting and curated coverage across every beat we cover.

If placed on ballot, measure would nearly double city property taxes

April 17, 1950 — June 20, 2026

Bodytraffic to put on a show Wednesday in Aspen

Main Street curb work starts July 27

Hurd creates field reports to raise river health awareness

At a Thursday worksession, Glenwood Springs City Manager Steve Boyd talks to city council members about a potential new property tax to fund fire and emergency medical services.

The Glenwood Springs Fire Department and its EMS services cover about 16,000 residents over 72 square miles.


Founded in 2007, Bodytraffic is known for its stunning performers, diverse technical mastery and dynamic repertoire. The Los Angeles-based dance company will perform on Wednesday at the Aspen District Theatre as part of Aspen Santa Fe Ballet’s summer season.

Katie Garcia and Joan Rodriguez, of the Los Angeles-based dance company Bodytraffic, will perform on Wednesday at the Aspen District Theater as part of the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet’s summer season.

John Keleher — The Woody Creek raceway that was built by Bugsy Barnard, Dr. J. Sterling Baxter and others 50-plus years ago...

Richard Hampleman — Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin have something in common. If free elections...
Illene Pevec — Thank you to Aspen Journalism for publishing the English translation of “Investing Our Humanity...

The ink was hardly dry on last week’s column about the transformation of this community into a theme park when, well, a figurative...

“Situational awareness” is something we teach all firefighters. In my family of firefighters, we were taught early that the land speaks.


March 23, 1968 – December 26, 2025 Aaron Pearlman left this world too soon on December 26, 2025. Born and raised in New York City to parents Barbara and Stephen Pearlman, he lived his life in many chapters. Throughout all those chapters ran the common threads of family, friends, giving back, and...

For more than 60 years, Aspen Raceway has been part of the Roaring Fork Valley. Since opening in 1963, it has welcomed generations of drivers, car enthusiasts, first responders and community organizations. Long before the Rio Grande Trail existed or much of the uppervalley was developed, this pro...

Aspen’s iconic brand Kemo Sabe is returning to the town of its original store with a new pop-up partnership at the Viceroy Snowmass this week. From noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 21, and 11 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, July 22, guests of the hotel and community members can experience Kemo Sabe’s...

The Aspen School District has reported a successful test bore dug into the ground beneath the football field that reached 1,000 feet into the earth, nearly double what the industry norm is and one of the deepest ground source geothermal installations in Colorado history. The geothermal test bo...

In a tight 6-5 vote, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife rejected a proposal to ban the commercial sale of fur in Colorado. The ban originated from a petition submitted by the Center for Biological Diversity in June 2025, which argued that it is a common-sense and ethical change that aligns furbe...

Brooke Stott has been the fire marshall for Roaring Fork Fire Rescue Authority since April, and she has plans for expanding the fire department’s capabilities in her new role — particularly with wildfire management and public education. Stott was formerly the deputy fire marshall, a role that ...

Celebrated live-fire grill master Jack Arnold will showcase his expertise at “BBQ Bash at West End Social,” a casual drop-in event from 2 to 7 p.m. Aug. 8 at 845 Meadows Road. Bold flavors, fresh mountain air and a curated playlist will set the tone. The international barbecue event host will ...

The mudslides stranded 21 people, blocked roads and flooded Main Street, a school and a theater in Telluride.

Aspen Acres, Gold Mountain, Ferris and other blazes are threatening communities across Colorado as firefighters juggle air attacks and prep for monsoon weather

Astrologers are swarming over the planets right now. Some have been droning on about this rare outer-planet configuration for years. If you’ve spent any time in astrology circles lately, you’ve probably heard multiple proclamations that the famous French astrologer André Barbault predicted this a...

Aspen Journalism is a nonprofit, investigative news organization covering water, environment, social justice and more. Visit aspenjournalism.org.

Although the Aspen Acres fire is burning around 150 miles away from Summit County, firefighters from Summit Fire & EMS and the Red, White & Blue Fire Protection District have been on the scene, working to contain what is now the seventh largest fire in Colorado’s history. The crews are deploy...

County elected officials to discuss potential changes STR program after city passed its own set of changes last year

Twenty-one short-term rental classic permits have been issued at Chateau Chaumont on East Durant Avenue in Aspen, as of April 3. Capped zones for classic permits don’t apply to Chateau Chaumont as it’s located in the city’s lodging zone.

The Gant is one of the seven lodge-exempt permit holders in Aspen. The property includes 140 individually owned condominium units, which are rented similar to hotel rooms when not being used by their owners.

The number of active short-term rental permits issued by the city of Aspen and Pitkin County has declined by a combined 9% since 2023, according to an Aspen Journalism analysis.

Ben Wolff, general manager at Frias Properties of Aspen, helps manage hundreds of STRs in Aspen, including in the residential/multifamily zone district whose long waitlist, he believes, shows that the zone’s permit cap is too restrictive.

Pitkin County Community Development Deputy Director Nicole Rebeck-Stout. left, and Analyst Alex Sanchez look at STR application processing times. Pitkin County saw a 29% drop in the number of STR properties in the past three years and a 62% decline…

Snowmass Village counts 1,445 STR licenses and 209 pending permits as of May 27, including about 84 already approved permits at Timberline Condominiums located near Snowmass Mall.

Explore Books in Aspen recommends a harrowing memoir, hot and sticky London literary fiction and an Agatha Christie mystery.

“Community or commodity?” The Pitkin Board of County Commissioners views our valley, at best, as a source for the generation of unlimited wealth...

Denise and Mark Handrich — A big shout-out to the volunteers who cleared the Mill Creek Trail (middle loop) on Basalt Mountain...

Will Hodges — I’m inviting Colorado voters to sign a petition to add Proposition 195 to November’s ballot. We only have until Aug. 3...
Chris Martinez — More than 20 years ago, I stared through the window of a friend’s place in Missouri Heights as he worked on a drum machine...
Free weekly digest. Local news that actually matters — no spam, no clickbait, easy unsubscribe.
By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy. We never sell your data.