A massive wildfire in southern Colorado has grown to 115 square miles, forcing thousands of residents to flee under mandatory evacuation orders.
The Aspen Acres fire expanded from 55,391 acres on Thursday night to 73,377 acres by Friday afternoon, with zero percent containment.
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The blaze is now the eighth-largest wildfire in Colorado history. It tore through Colorado City and pushed within 200 yards of the historic Bishop Castle tourist attraction.
Extreme fire conditions caused the fire to make two major runs around midnight and 4 a. m.
on Friday, preventing officials from safely assessing structural damage.
Alaska Complex Incident Management Team spokesperson Al Nash said cooler night temperatures failed to slow the fire until close to dawn.
Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero reported the fire was about 12 miles from Pueblo city limits.
He warned surrounding communities to remain vigilant and prepared for possible evacuation orders, noting he had seen fire behavior unlike anything in his 26 years in law enforcement.
Incident Commander Jake Livingston stated that fire crews remain engaged in defensive operations on the ground.
Bishop Castle Under Threat
Daniel Bishop, son of the late castle builder Jim Bishop and current caretaker, watched the fire's progression from a hospital bed via a remote trail camera.
He suffered a serious fall that left him with multiple broken ribs, preventing him from defending the property.
Bishop had spent the past year clearing deadfall and creating defensible space around the castle.
