La Plata Fire Update
Contact Information: Phil Daniels 720-608-1109
Secondary Contact: Public Affairs Office sm.fs.psiccpa@usda.gov
Colorado Incident Management Team
Phil Daniels, Incident Commander
Size: 54 acres
Containment: 0%
Total Personnel: Approximately 90 personnel. More resources are on order and en route.
Location: Pike-San Isabel National Forests, 4 miles west of Twin Lakes in Chaffee and Lake counties
Reported: Aug. 17, 2025, at 5:46 p.m.
Cause: Human-caused
Special Notes: The Colorado Type 3 Incident Management Team assumed management of the fire at 6:00 a.m. today. The team is working closely with local and national resources, both air and ground, who remain actively engaged in suppression efforts.
Current Situation: The fire is burning in rugged terrain with heavy dead and down timber. Firefighters will continue to utilize both direct and indirect tactics to guide fire behavior toward natural barriers such as treeline scree fields and minimize threats to private property, communities, infrastructure, watersheds and other critical assets. An Interagency Hotshot Crew will be working on extinguishing spot fires that occurred in areas where topography aligned with winds to prevent further growth. Access will be a factor, as much of the fire is in a nonmotorized wilderness area.
Weather: Sunny, with a slight chance of rain showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Temperatures will be in the high 70s with relative humidity around 16% to 21%. Winds are out of the north-northeast, 8 mph. Gusty and erratic winds are expected near thunderstorms after noon.
Fire Behavior: Smoldering and creeping with some torching. Active burning in areas of spruce and lodgepole pine.
Evacuations: No evacuations. Sign up for Chaffee County emergency alerts. Sign up for Lake County emergency alerts.
Closures: The Forest Service is closing National Forest System lands and trails around the wildfire. A detailed closure order and map will be available soon. The purpose of this order is to protect the public’s health and safety during firefighting operations.
Fire Restrictions: Fire danger is MODERATE to HIGH across the Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands. Although fire restrictions are not in place on the forests and grasslands, individual counties have fire restrictions in place that must be followed. Chaffee County is under Stage 1 fire restrictions. Restrictions apply to all of unincorporated Chaffee County, as well as within the municipal boundaries of the Town of Buena Vista and the Town of Poncha Springs.
Smoke: Smoke may be visible to communities in Twin Lakes, Leadville, Granite and Buena Vista, as well as along Highways 24 and 82. Smoke from wildfires may affect your health. If you experience problems breathing, please contact your healthcare provider. Visit the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment website for tips on how to protect your health from wildfire smoke.
Wildfires are a no-fly zone for unauthorized aircraft, including drones. If you fly, we can’t. For more information, visit Know Before You Fly.
Phone: 720-608-1109 | Email: sm.fs.psiccpa@usda.gov
