
Updated at 2:29 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025.
Yet another lightning-caused blaze is growing on the Western Slope during an extremely active fire season. The Derby Fire has forced evacuations outside the small community of Dotsero, just east of Glenwood Canyon.
While the fire is not as large as other recent fires in the region, at 839 acres, it has prompted closures at the White River National Forest.
It’s grown significantly since Tuesday night and is still zero percent contained. Fire officials said there could be “significant fire activity” over the next few days.
Jeni Garcin, public information officer, explained that the area is so steep that embers from the fire are rolling down the mountainside — igniting brush below, and then the fire runs back uphill and continues to spread.
“There’s a lot of terrain in there that, with the right alignment, it can spread, and that’s what it did last night,” she said, adding that it’s in a “really difficult location to access.” Firefighters faced similar conditions on the South Rim Fire at Black Canyon of the Gunnison.
Several days of hot, dry weather have stoked the fire, which was sparked by lightning on Saturday. The entire region is in deep drought, and most of the fires burning on the Western Slope were started by lightning sparking dry fuels.
Eagle County has notified residents of Sweetwater Road and areas of Colorado River Road from Sweetwater to Red Dirt Creek that they must be out of their homes by noon on Wednesday. Derby Mesa Loop remains in pre-evacuation status.
The evacuated areas are in remote, rugged land northwest of Dotsero, a small, isolated bedroom community for nearby resort towns.
Eighty personnel are working the fire, with six engines, one helicopter and two hand crews.
As the Turner Gulch Fire smolders about 150 miles to the west and has been largely contained, its Complex Incident Management Team has assumed command of the Derby Fire.
Fire officials said monsoon activity could produce erratic winds today, which could increase the spread of the fire in forested areas.
However, Garcin said that the forecast also calls for cooler weather next week, and with the fire reaching elevations of around 10,000 feet, she hopes crews will be able to put in more lines as the heat subsides.
“It’s going to take us a while, but hopefully the weather will help dampen the spread,” she said.
Fire officials may hold future public meetings based on fire activity and the needs of the community.
A new Facebook page has been set up for continual fire updates.
Lee fire
The fire that once threatened Meeker and seemed to be moving towards Rifle has been tamed considerably.
Fire officials say the Lee Fire is 68 percent contained, after burning nearly 138,000 acres of mountainsides, grasslands and pastures in Rio Blanco and Garfield counties. The Bureau of Land Management has reopened portions of public land, while keeping others closed to the public for the time being.
Highway 13, a vital link to Interstate 70 and the city of Rifle, reopened over the weekend. The Piceance Creek Road remains closed.
A total of 523 fire personnel are still working the blaze, mostly monitoring for hot spots and patrolling the fire line. There are five helicopters, 28 engines, six hand crews, seven water tenders and five bulldozers on duty.
Elk Fire
Just to the east of the Lee Fire, the Elk Fire is 100 percent contained at more than 14,000 acres. Residents who were evacuated from their homes have returned.
Crosho Fire
Just north of the Derby Fire, the Crosho Fire outside of Yampa initially forced evacuations of nearby residents in this rural area. All residents have now returned to their homes, though many remain in pre-evacuation status.
The fire has grown to nearly 2,100 acres and is 23 percent contained.
This is a developing story.