Lee Fire becomes 4th-largest wildfire in Colorado history, surpassing Hayman Fire
By Austen Erblat
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COLORADO (KCNC) — The Lee Fire in northwest Colorado is now the fourth-largest wildfire in the state’s history, recorded at 138,844 acres on Monday evening. The fire burning near Meeker has now surpassed the Hayman Fire, which burned 137,760 acres between Denver and Colorado Springs in 2002.
The Lee Fire is 90% contained, but has already destroyed several homes and government structures in Rio Blanco County and forced a number of evacuations.
More than 1,100 firefighters, 6 aircraft, 23 hand crews, 78 engines, and 46 pieces of heavy equipment are involved in the efforts to extinguish the Lee Fire, according to the Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team.
The fire was started by lightning on Aug. 2 on Bureau of Land Management-managed land in the Piceance Creek area.
Drought conditions, along with severe and extreme weather conditions and with multiple days of red flag warnings and heightened fire activity, helped the Lee fire grow over 100,000 acres in eight days, according to the National Forest Service.
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