10 days into battling Aspen Acres Fire, flash flood risk adds new concern for firefighters, front line crews
Jul 08, 2026
COLORADO CITY, Colo. Ten days into battling the Aspen Acres Fire in Pueblo and Custer counties, firefighters on the line now have a new worry: flash floods.Fire crews and officials have been praying for moisture. They agree som
e rain is good for the firefight but too much could mean dangerous runoff for the crews trying to get the blaze under control. WATCH: Flash flood risk adds new concern for firefighters battling Aspen Acres Fire Ten days into battling Aspen Acres Fire, flash flood risk adds new concern for firefighters, front line crewsOn Wednesday, Klint Skelly, a warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pueblo, toured the burn scar left by the fifth most destructive wildfire in Colorado's history."It burned pretty hot, so it's pretty hydrophobic soil," Skelly said.His job is to help determine the fire's impact on the land work that hits close to home."I live in Pueblo, and we tour the Wets all the time, Wet Mountains, and so it's harrowing, right?" Skelly said. Skelly said the priority right now is keeping firefighters safe."I think the main thing on that is being safe, you know, the first responders who are there out in the fire," he said. "If there's any sort of heavier rains coming to that area, you just need to take precaution."That's where Al Nash, with the Alaska Complex Incident Command Team, comes in. Nash said none of the nearly 2,000 personnel working the fire have been pulled off the line because of the flash flood watch but that could change."We would pull people off some locations in the fire if there's a flash flood warning," Nash said. After Denver7's interview with Nash, a flash flood warning for the area was issued. It's not clear if any firefighters have been pulled yet.The bigger danger, Nash said, is the ground itself."It could create a lot of problems for footing or for driving either our fire vehicles or for any of that heavy equipment," Nash said. "That's the threat we worry about."Until then, fire crews continue working likely for weeks, if not longer, according to Nash.
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