Wildfire southwest of Denver forces thousands to evacuate and destroys more than 160 structures
A plane drops a load of water on the Aspen Acres Fire near Colorado City, Colo., on Thursday, July 2, 2026. (Michael Seamans/The Gazette via AP)
PUEBLO, Colo. (AP) — A wildfire burning southwest of Denver forced the evacuation of thousands of residents and destroyed more than 160 structures by Friday as erratic winds pushed the blaze across two Colorado counties.
The Aspen Acres fire is one of about 40 uncontained large blazes burning mostly in the West, fueled by months of dry weather and a record lack of snow this past winter in some places.
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