Overview

• The Lee Fire expanded to roughly 120,650 acres by Tuesday night, with containment slipping to 4 percent after rapid growth mapped on its southern edge.
• The smaller Elk Fire east of Meeker held at about 14,549 acres and has achieved 75 percent containment following strengthened interior lines.
• State, federal and National Guard teams have deployed over 1,200 firefighters along with aircraft, hand crews and heavy equipment under a unified command.
• Mandatory evacuation orders remain in multiple zones of Rio Blanco and Garfield counties, and 179 inmates were relocated from Rifle Correctional Center as a precaution.
• Incident meteorologists report less than 5 percent of normal precipitation over the past month and warn that gusty winds, low humidity and high temperatures will challenge containment efforts.