Overview
- The Elkhorn fire expanded from a house blaze to burn 145 acres on county and Forest Service land with zero containment as of the evening of July 27.
- The Rim Road fire on the Southern Ute Reservation has scorched about 112 acres and remains uncontained.
- Mandatory evacuation orders persist east of Highway 550 and along County Road 318 south to Indian Route 150, displacing residents and activating local shelters.
- Air tankers and ground crews from La Plata County, the U.S. Forest Service and the Southern Ute Tribe are coordinating suppression efforts to protect homes and infrastructure.
- Officials have shut off nearby oil wells and natural gas lines as a precaution under persistent drought conditions.