Colorado prison evacuated as state's record-breaking wildfire wreaks havoc: 'An abundance of caution'

Officials were forced to fully evacuate a Colorado prison in response to the sixth-largest wildfire in state history, the Guardian reported.

"The Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) has safely and swiftly completed the evacuation of the Rifle Correction Center in response to the Lee Fire in Rio Blanco County," the CDOC said in a statement. "This proactive measure was taken out of an abundance of caution to ensure the safety of all individuals involved."

The inmates were temporarily relocated to a facility roughly 150 miles away, while some staff remained at the Rifle Correction Center to help protect it from the approaching fire, the department said.

What's happening?

The still-raging Lee Fire began as two separate fires, both of which were sparked by lightning strikes in early August, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The blazes soon combined into a single massive fire.

Fueled by high temperatures and drought-like conditions, "the Lee fire grew over 100,000 acres in eight days," said the USDA. "Firefighters have been working to find areas of opportunity in the southern area of the fire to reduce spread."

Despite more than 1,000 firefighters being deployed to battle the blaze, officials said the fire stood at only 6% containment as of Aug. 10, according to the Guardian.

Why are wildfires important?

Wildfires destroy homes, crops, livelihoods, and lives, resulting in higher food prices and insurance premiums far beyond the areas directly affected by the flames.

Further, wildfire smoke poses a toxic threat to public health, resulting in everything from coughing and wheezing to heart attack and stroke, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

For decades, scientists have warned that releasing large quantities of heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere will cause global temperatures to rise, which in turn would cause extreme weather events to grow more severe.

Drier conditions and hotter temperatures create the perfect scenario for wildfires to spark and spread rapidly.

"Climate change is loading the dice for extreme fire seasons like we've seen," said John Abatzoglou, a climate scientist at the University of California, Merced, according to a June report from The New York Times.

"There are going to be more fires like this," he added, per the Times, referring to devastating forest fires that had taken place in 2023 and 2024, the two hottest years on record.

What's being done about wildfires?

In order to reverse the trend of rising global temperatures and more extreme wildfires, it is necessary to significantly reduce the amount of planet-heating pollution entering the atmosphere.

According to the U.N., 75% of all such pollution comes from the burning of dirtier, nonrenewable fuels like coal, gasoline, and natural gas. This means that transitioning to cleaner, renewable sources of energy is vital to maintaining a healthy, livable, sustainable environment.

To help make a difference, you can use your voice and contact your elected representatives to tell them where you stand on reducing planet-heating pollution.

By going a step further and driving an EV or installing solar panels on your home, you can reduce heat-trapping pollution while also saving money on your energy bill.

Installing a home battery system in conjunction with solar panels can make your home more resilient in the event of a power outage, giving you the peace of mind of knowing that your family will have the power you need when you need it most.

EnergySage makes it easy to compare quotes among vetted local solar installers while helping to identify tax credits and other cost-slashing incentives in your region, saving customers up to $10,000.

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