Lee Fire rages in Colorado amid severe western wildfire season
Fires fueled by severe drought and gusty winds are rapidly expanding across the West, with major blazes burning in Colorado, California, Utah and the Grand Canyon region.
From California to Colorado, large wildfires are burning hundreds of thousands of acres this August.
Wildfires are intensifying across California and the western United States, fueled by extreme heat, dry fuels and gusty winds pushing several into megafire territory. Fire crews are battling four large wildfires across multiple states.
The latest wildfire to explode in size is the Lee Fire burning in northwestern Colorado, about 200 miles west of Denver. The fire has scorched nearly 120,000 acres with only 6% containment. Authorities say the fire is being fueled by weather conditions and critically low moisture levels in both live and dead vegetation. Flames have been reaching heights exceeding 100 feet, with the fire spreading at speeds over 1 mph.
The Canyon Fire
The Canyon Fire, which ignited north of Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon, has nearly reached full containment after burning more than 5,000 acres in Ventura County and forcing evacuations.
A resident rides a golf cart as he exits his property while the Canyon Fire burns on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, in Hasley Canyon, Calif. (Photo credit: AP/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
The fire initially prompted evacuation orders for approximately 4,200 residents as crews battled the blaze in steep, rugged terrain using ground forces and air support.
The Gifford Fire
Firefighters battle the Gifford Fire burning on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025, in Los Padres National Forest, Calif. (Photo Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger)
California is also facing more than a dozen active fires across the state, including the massive Gifford Fire raging in the Los Padres National Forest. Burning in both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, the Gifford Fire has grown to more than 120,000 acres and is now 33% contained, according to CalFire.
Fire officials describe the fire as “plume-dominated,” with massive smoke columns creating unpredictable winds that have contributed to rapid fire growth and spread. Nearly 500 structures are threatened, and evacuation orders remain in effect across multiple communities.
The Gifford Fire burns acreage in Los Padres National Forest on August 2, 2025. Flames sweep through rugged terrain near Santa Maria, California, forcing evacuations and endangering nearby communities and wildlife. (Photo credit: Getty Images)
The Gifford Fire’s plume-dominated behavior has led to huge daily growth, fueled by dry fuels that carry flames rapidly through the terrain, Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. Scott Safechuck told the Los Angeles Times.
California is currently on pace for one of its worst wildfire years in recent memory, with more than 355,000 acres burned, well above the five-year average. This year’s spike in fire activity is largely due to several major fires in Central and Southern California, including three large blazes that raged in Los Angeles County in January. Even excluding those, totals still exceed the five-year average, CalFire Battalion Chief Jesse Torres told the Los Angeles Times.
Dragon Bravo Fire remains largest in Lower 48
Smoke from the Dragon Bravo fire fills the Grand Canyon on July 17, in Grand Canyon, Arizona. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Farther east, the Dragon Bravo Fire along the North Rim of the Grand Canyon has scorched nearly 143,000 acres since a lightning strike ignited it on July 4. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, it is currently the largest wildfire in the Lower 48 states.
Containment has reached 44%. Officials say worsening weather has caused erratic fire behavior, particularly along the northern and southwestern flanks.
The fire has grown so intense it generated its own weather, producing pyrocumulus clouds—fire clouds—observed for at least seven consecutive days, according to a Southwest Area Complex Incident Management Team news release. The Dragon Bravo Fire also destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge in mid-July, leading to closures of the North Rim and Inner Canyon.
A dramatic pyrocumulus cloud, or fire cloud, formed as the large Dragon Bravo Fire burned along the Grand Canyon’s North Rim in Arizona this week.
Section Chief Craig Daugherty of the Southwest Area Incident Management Team said crews have contained some sections but remain concerned about the fire’s northern edge and southwestern areas where it continues to spread.
Wildfire surge in Nevada, Utah and Arizona
Elsewhere in the West, dozens of fires are active in Nevada, Utah and Arizona. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox declared a state of emergency after nearly 700 wildfires erupted statewide this year. One of the most active is the Monroe Canyon Fire, which has burned nearly 72,000 acres and forced evacuations in central Utah. The fire has reached 36% containment. “Nearly three-quarters of this year’s fires have been human-caused, so please use fire sense. A single spark can put entire neighborhoods at risk,” Governor Cox wrote on X.
The National Interagency Fire Center warned that the West will remain the nation’s wildfire hotspot through at least September, with AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski noting that heat and winds will continue to spur new wildfires from west of the Rockies to east of Interstate 5.
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