As wildfires continue to ravage parts of northwest Colorado, Governor Jared Polis has taken decisive action by mobilizing the Colorado National Guard to assist with the fire suppression efforts for the Lee and Elk fires burning near Meeker in Rio Blanco County, 9News reported. The authorization, announced Wednesday night, is an attempt to harness additional resources to combat the ferocity of the flames, which so far have evaded containment.
The situation escalated rapidly on Wednesday when winds drove the Lee Fire to cross Highway 13, prompting evacuations in the vicinity of Meeker, now placed on pre-evacuation status as the fire covered an estimated 45,000 acres, "The Governor’s Office noted that the wind has continued to drive the Rio Blanco County fires, pushing the Lee Fire to jump Highway 13 on Wednesday and leading to the area around Meeker being evacuated and the town of Meeker being placed on pre-evacuation status," according to KDVR.
Earlier in the week, Gov. Polis had verbally declared a disaster emergency for the Elk Fire, and by Tuesday, the declaration was extended to include the advancing Lee Fire originating from Bureau of Land Management lands; this move by the governor aims to mitigate the increasing damage and prepare for further challenges as the fire season peaks, KDVR reported.
The state's efforts were bolstered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) approval to allocate federal funds towards firefighting costs, alleviating some of the financial strain as resources are poured into the region to stifle the growing disaster, "Also on Wednesday, FEMA authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the two fires," according to KDVR. The move comes as a relief to local authorities grappling with the dynamic and unpredictable nature of wildfire management.
