Winds have unfortunately continued to increase fire behavior in Rio Blanco County near Meeker, Colorado. Still, crews report that work on the Elk Fire is progressing and firefighters are strengthening lines. Activity on the west side of the fire was starting to pick up on Thursday but the lines held strong. The Lee Fire is seeing more activity in the middle of the north perimeter by Highway 64 as well as increased activity on the southeast side of the fire in the Highway 13 corridor. Highway 64 is closed from County Road 7 to County Road 5 due to increased fire behavior, heavy smoke and the need for crews to safely perform operations. This is a hard closure so no traffic will be allowed besides fire crews. As of Thursday evening, Meeker was still in the SET level of the READY, SET, GO evac

See Full Page