The Elk and Lee fires in Rio Blanco County remained zero percent contained as of Thursday morning, with hot, dry and windy weather conditions worsening the spread that occurred on Wednesday, according to a news release from the Rio Blanco Sheriff’s Office.

Evacuation shelters have been established at the Moffat County High School in Craig, 900 Finley Lane, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Rangely, 125 Eagle Crest Street, according to an emergency alert from the county.

The Elk Fire, east of Meeker, had reached over 14,200 acres, according to the release. The Lee Fire, west of Meeker, had reached an estimated 45,000 acres as of Thursday morning.

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Residents and visitors in Rio Blanco County should be prepared to follow the “Ready, Set, Go!” evacuation model and know their zone, officials said. To view updated evacuation orders, visit TinyUrl.com/559c4j32 or the Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.

As of Thursday afternoon, Meeker and the area south of town were in “Set” pre-evacuation status, indicating a high probability of an imminent evacuation order. Zone 40, just west of Meeker, was issued a full “Go” evacuation order Wednesday afternoon.

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At about 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, zones 50, 51 and 54 were also issued “Go” evacuation orders.

As of Thursday afternoon, Zones 2, 9, 52, 55, 30, 33 and 34 remained in “Set” orders. Zones 42 and 43, east of Meeker, also remained in “Ready” orders.

The Walbridge Wing of the Pioneers Medical Center in Meeker began evacuations around 4 p.m. Wednesday as a “precautionary measure,” the hospital said in a statement. Patients were taken to the Grand River Care Center in Rifle.

The Emergency Department of the Pioneers Medical Center and Meeker Drug remained open as of Thursday afternoon.

Officials expected “extreme” fire activity throughout Thursday, which was likely to cause increased fire growth, particularly on steep slopes, wind-exposed mesas and areas with continuous flammable vegetation.

The Lee Fire made large runs, spreading to the north during the day on Wednesday, inching closer to Meeker. The fire was spreading about one mile per hour, said Fire Behavior Analyst Kevin Thompson during a Wednesday night community meeting.

The Lee Fire crossed Colorado Highway 13 at approximately 3:30 p.m., officials said. A large smoke cloud called a “pyrocumulus column” collapsed, causing the fire to spread over 100 acres before aviation resources could get to it.

The fire spread to the ridge of the Hogback in less than 10 minutes, and firefighters prioritized structures closer to Meeker to slow the spread.

At around 2 p.m. Thursday, officials said winds caused increased fire activity for the Lee Fire, particularly in the middle of the north perimeter by Colorado Highway 64, and on the southeast side in the Colo. 13 corridor.

The Elk Fire also saw heightened fire activity throughout Wednesday, states the release. The interior of the fire remained active, preventing a major increase in acreage.

Around 2 p.m. Thursday, officials said firefighters were strengthening Elk Fire lines. Winds caused increased fire activity on the western side of the fire, but officials noted that the “lines are holding strong.”

As of 8 a.m. Thursday, Rio Blanco County Road 8 was restricted to local traffic only for residents who live in the area from mile marker 10 to mile marker 18, said the sheriff’s office.

Just after 3 p.m. Thursday, Colo. 64 was closed from Rio Blanco County Road 7 to Rio Blanco County Road 5 due to heavy smoke and for fire crew access.

Rio Blanco County Roads 4,13, 22, 33, 36, 66, 76 and 27 remained closed, as well as Colo. 13 in both directions between Piceance Creek Road and Colo. Highway 64, from mile marker 19 to mile marker 39.

As of Thursday morning, 14 aircraft, 15 engines, 14 hand crews and two pieces of heavy equipment were actively fighting the fires. Over 470 fire personnel are working on containment.

Fire crews are working to contain the spread of the Lee Fire on the northeastern side throughout Thursday, protecting Meeker.

“Night shift, day shift and swing shift are all continuing to monitor and strengthen lines on the north side of the fire and provide structure protection around the clock work,” states a Thursday morning news release from the Rio Blanco Sheriff’s Office.

Crews are working to increase fire suppression efforts on the south and eastern side of the Lee Fire as more resources mobilize to the scene.

Firefighters will also continue protecting structures from the Elk Fire on the west and north line.

The Rio Blanco Sheriff’s Office held a community meeting Wednesday evening, providing up-to-date information and addressing questions from the community. To view the video, visit TinyUrl.com/5xshmzrs.

A Red Flag Warning was issued for much of western Colorado, including Routt, Moffat and Rio Blanco counties. The warning will remain in effect at least through 8 p.m. Thursday.

Red Flag weather is anticipated to continue through “at least” Saturday, states a Thursday morning news release.

An Air Quality Health Advisory for wildfire smoke was also issued, extending through 9 a.m. Friday.

As of 2:30 p.m. Thursday, air quality conditions were moderate for Steamboat Springs, with the air quality index at 63, according to AirNow. Air quality for Hayden was at 64, also considered moderate.

Air quality conditions in Meeker were at 141 at around 2:30 p.m. Thursday, considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.

In addition to the road closures and evacuations, Oak Ridge State Wildlife Area, Rio Blanco Lake State Wildlife Area, Colorow Mountain State Wildlife Area and Piceance State Wildlife Area are closed until further notice, according to a Tuesday evening Colorado Parks and Wildlife news release.

Gates at the properties will remain open to aid firefighting efforts. CPW is asking the public to respect the closures in place despite the open gates.

The White River National Forest has also issued a public forest closure for firefighter and public safety in the area of the Elk Fire in Rio Blanco County, according to a Tuesday U.S. Forest Service news release.

Temporary Flight Restriction areas were also increased on Wednesday to provide fire aviation resources a safe working environment. Pilots are advised to review the new Temporary Flight Restriction areas.

A U.S. Forest Service-funded program, called Operation Sky Hammer, sent Type 1 SkyCrane helitankers to the Elk and Lee fires to assist in containment, said Forest Service Regional Fire, Fuels and Aviation Management Communication Specialist Laura McConnell.

McConnell said the two SkyCrane helitankers have been housed at the Yampa Valley Regional Airport since early July and have assisted in fighting multiple fires in the Rocky Mountain Region this summer.

Since the Elk and Lee fires started over the weekend, the helitankers have delivered over 320,000 gallons of water and over 17,000 gallons of fire retardant to the fires, said McConnell.

Over the weekend, Gov. Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency to support the Elk Fire. He has since updated the disaster emergency to include the Lee Fire, according to a Wednesday news release from the governor’s office.

With the disaster declaration, the State Emergency Operations and Resource Mobilization Plans have been activated.

The Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management coordinates the overall state response during a disaster emergency through the State Emergency Operations Center and deployment of field operations staff.

For fire information, visit App.WatchDuty.org.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

This story is from SteamboatPilot.com.