Colorado Gov Polis declares disaster emergency for Oak Fire near Pagosa Springs

Colorado Governor Jared Polis has verbally declared a disaster emergency for the Oak Fire burning west of Pagosa Springs in Archuleta County, which began as a structure fire and rapidly expanded to approximately 150 acres, prompting mandatory evacuations including the Elk Park subdivision. The fire's rapid escalation exceeded local fire department and county capacities, leading to a request for state assistance and activation of the State Emergency Operations and Resource Mobilization Plans. The Colorado National Guard has been authorized to assist in firefighting efforts, with local shelters set up at Pagosa Springs High School and facilities for impacted livestock at the county fairgrounds. Power outages affected nearly 200 residents as utilities shut off electricity to protect critical infrastructure. This emergency declaration enables access to state and federal resources to better contain the wildfire and support affected communities. In a related move, Governor Polis recently formalized disaster declarations for multiple other wildfires on Colorado's western slope, activating state emergency plans and seeking federal aid to combat widespread fire activity.