Overview
- State officials estimate 5,000 to 10,000 acres burned, with the exact size awaiting an overflight.
- The blaze started near Matheson around noon and moved east, triggering evacuation orders in parts of Elbert and Lincoln counties.
- Evacuations covering about two dozen homes were lifted by late afternoon after crews stopped the fire’s spread.
- More than 100 firefighters from multiple agencies contained the fire despite strong winds that grounded mapping aircraft.
- Investigators plan to probe the cause on Wednesday, as a separate 300–400 acre fire on the Weld–Morgan border was also declared contained.