Colorado Gov. Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency for a new wildfire Wednesday night, as others around the state grew in size.
Emergency crews working on the Crosho fire, currently at an estimated 1,700 acres — roughly 600 of which are on state and private lands in both Rio Blanco and Routt counties — will now be able to access state and federal resources, according to a Wednesday news release from Polis' office.
The fire began Monday on Routt National Forest land before quickly spreading to private land in both counties.
The declaration is the latest in what has become a fiery few weeks on Colorado's Western Slope. Rio Blanco County, in particular, has had its hands full with the Elk and Lee fires, which, combined, have burned nearly 136,000 acres as of Wednesday night, according