MESA COUNTY, Colo. — It was a terrifying moment for drivers on eastbound Interstate 70 in Mesa County Saturday morning after large boulders slammed down onto the road surface, forcing the closure of the eastbound lanes through De Beque Canyon.
Passenger Yudic Cibrian Leon captured video of the impact, later posted to Facebook, showing a burst of dust erupting across the highway and briefly wiping out visibility.
There were no reports of injuries.
The Colorado Department of Transportation closed eastbound I-70 between Exit 47 and Exit 49, and diverted traffic onto Highway 65.
However, the eastbound lanes reopened later in the morning.
Watch Leon’s video in the player below:
Rockslide closes EB I-70 in De Beque Canyon
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A 35-year-old man was killed Saturday morning in a single-vehicle crash on westbound Interstate 70 near Palisade, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
The crash happened at 11:38 a.m. along I-70 near 35 8/10 Road, just north of Palisade in Mesa County, state officials said.
The 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 truck was heading westbound when it traveled off the right shoulder and onto the median. The truck kept driving in the median before driving over an emergency crossover and going airborne. It landed, rotated, rolled and stopped on its roof.
State patrol officials said the driver died at the scene. His name will be released by the Mesa County Coroner’s Office, and the crash is under investigation.
The left lane of eastbound I-70 was closed Saturday afternoon but reopened as of 4:19 p.m., according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Deputies responded to multiple 911 calls about a shooting at a home in the 400 block of Cottonwood Lake Drive in Clifton at 11:50 p.m., the sheriff’s office said in a news release. Clifton is an unincorporated community east of Grand Junction.
Deputies found two victims with serious injuries and started CPR, but both were pronounced dead at the hospital about an hour later.
Investigators believe an “incident” caused one or more people to start shooting during the party, sheriff’s officials said. The shooting is being investigated as a double homicide.
The names of the victims will be released by the Mesa County Coroner’s Office.
Anyone with information about the shooting can contact non-emergency dispatch at 970-242-6707 and reference Mesa County Sheriff’s Office case number 25-41695.
Mesa County’s late-summer measles outbreak started with three children who brought the virus back from an out-of-state trip, ultimately passing it on to eight other people.
On Wednesday, the agency announced four additional cases from August, including the three who traveled and one person they infected directly. Those four previously unidentified people then spread the virus to the seven known cases.
All four of the new cases were unvaccinated children between 5 and 17, according to the health department. It didn’t release any other information, such as which state the children traveled to or whether any of them were related.
The department found their cases after the state they traveled to identified them as contacts of people who had tested positive there, spokeswoman Hope Shuler said.
Measles is most dangerous for people under 5 or over 20.
The newly identified people got sick in August, meaning they’re well past the contagious period. Most people who have measles are contagious for about four days before the rash appears and four days after.
The vaccine schedule calls for kids to receive their first dose at about 1 and their second around 5. Some children with compromised immune systems can’t receive the vaccine and rely on the rest of the community to protect them through herd immunity, where so many people have been vaccinated that the virus can’t easily reach new hosts.
The known cases included two unvaccinated adults who got sick in mid-August, three people who shared a household with one of them and two strangers who crossed paths with them and later tested positive. None of them needed hospital care.
This has been an unusually severe year for measles nationwide.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,596 cases as of Tuesday, including 197 hospitalizations and three deaths. The last time the country had more cases was 1992.
While a massive outbreak in Texas has ended, new ones have started in South Carolina, Utah, Arizona and Minnesota. More than 100 children in South Carolina are missing school because they have to quarantine for 21 days following exposure.
Two doses of the measles vaccine are about 97% effective in preventing infection.
A Mesa County sheriff’s deputy resigned Tuesday, almost three months after he was accused of violating state law by sharing information with federal officials that led to a Utah college student’s immigration arrest, according to court records.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser on Thursday dropped the lawsuit he filed against Investigator Alexander Zwinck over the incident because of the deputy’s resignation, according to court records. Weiser agreed to dismiss the case because the law no longer applies to Zwinck after his resignation, according to a motion filed last week.
A larger investigation into whether other state law enforcement officers in the region collaborated with federal officials in a Signal group chat for the purposes of federal immigration enforcement will continue, said Lawrence Pacheco, spokesman for the attorney general’s office.
“Because the laws he is accused of violating apply only to state and local employees, the attorney general’s office is dismissing the lawsuit against Mr. Zwinck but retaining the right to re-file the case if Mr. Zwinck becomes a state or local employee in the future,” Pacheco said.
Weiser alleged in the lawsuit that Zwinck knowingly assisted in federal immigration enforcement by sharing information about 19-year-old Caroline Dias Goncalves in the Signal group chat during a June 5 traffic stop on Interstate 70 near Loma.
Colorado law prohibits local law enforcement officers from carrying out civil immigration enforcement and largely blocks local police agencies from working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The deputy purposely stalled Dias Goncalves so federal immigration officers could get into position to arrest her, and passed on details about the make and model of her car, her license plate, and her direction and timing of travel to the federal officers, knowing it would be used for immigration enforcement, Weiser said.
Zwinck pulled Dias Goncalves over because she was following a semitrailer too closely. At about 1:40 p.m., he shared a picture of her driver’s license in the Signal group chat so that federal agents could run her information through a number of databases that are only accessible to them, Weiser alleged in the lawsuit.
Zwinck questioned Dias Goncalves about her accent and where she was from — she said she was born in Brazil. He shared his location with the federal agents, who responded that they were en route. He kept Dias Goncalves for about 15 minutes, then let her go with a warning at about 1:55 p.m.
The federal agents then arrested her on immigration grounds. Dias Goncalves, who attends the University of Utah, came to the U.S. from Brazil with her family when she was 7 and overstayed a tourist visa. She has a pending asylum application, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
The Signal group chat included a mix of local and federal officers and was used for regional drug-smuggling enforcement, according to the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office.
DENVER — One of several fires that sparked in Rio Blanco County is now 100% contained.
The 2,073-acre Crosho Fire, first reported on Aug. 11, burned in the Routt National Forest. The cause of the blaze, which threatened several structures, is unknown at this time.
No structures were lost in the fire. The following roads have reopened, according to Routt County officials:
Routt County Road 132 from Routt County Road 15 to Dunckley Pass
Routt County Road 25 from Routt County Road 132A to Routt County Road 132
Routt County Road 19 from Routt County Road 15 to Routt County Road 25
Rio Blanco County Road 8 (Dunckley Pass) at the intersection of Rio Blanco County Road 8 and Rio Blanco County Road 19
The only road that remains closed is Routt County Road 15 from the intersection of Routt County Road 17 to Crosho Lake.
As of 9:30 p.m. Monday, the fire has burned 138,844 acres and is 90% contained.
Denver7 is tracking several other wildfires on Colorado’s Western Slope. Below is a summary of those fires, containment amounts and where residents can learn more details.
Size: 5,345 acres Containment: 0% First reported: Aug. 16 Cause: ⚡️ Location: 13 miles north of Dotsero Evacuations 🏠: Mandatory evacuations and pre-evacuation notices can be viewed here.
The lightning-sparked Derby Fire, first reported on Aug. 16, is burning 13 miles north of Dotsero in Eagle and Garfield counties.
In an update Monday, fire officials said three-quarters of recent growth on the fire’s southeast flank has been halted thanks to new control lines. Air support dropped flame retardant and water on the area on Monday.
The fire is growing slowly on other parts of its south perimeter. Firefighters are constructing new control lines in order to slow that growth.
Officials said structure protection crews are working along Red Dirt Creek Road. Firefighters have positioned sprinkler kits and removed surrounding fuels in an attempt to protect more than 500 structures.
Size: 138,844 acres Containment: 90% First reported: Aug. 2 Cause: ⚡️ Location: 18 miles southwest of Meeker Evacuations 🏠: For the most up-to-date evacuation map, click here. Pre-evacuations: For the most up-to-date pre-evacuation map, click here.
The lightning-sparked Lee Fire, first reported on Aug. 2, is burning 18 miles southwest of Meeker in Rio Blanco County. Three homes and 12 outbuildings have burned so far.
The FDNY Incident Management Team assumed control of the fire Monday morning. Crews worked Monday to continue securing its perimeter.
Officials said fire activity remained minimal on Sunday, with only “isolated creeping and smoldering observed.”
A wet weather pattern is expected this week, with a 90-100% chance of daily rainfall in the area through Thursday. Fire officials said these storms may bring periods of heavy rain, frequent lightning, gusty winds and small hail.
The Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office downgraded Evacuation Zones 20, 21, 22, 23, 61, 62, 63 and 64 from SET (yellow) to READY (green) on Monday. Evacuations for Zone 50 were lifted. To see what zone your address falls into, click this link.
A partial closure of the White River National Forest is still in effect due to the fire within the Blanco Ranger District west of and including the Long-Lost Trail system.
Size: 10,249 acres Containment: 42% First reported: July 28 Cause: ⚡️ Location: 5 miles west of Rico in the San Juan National Forest Evacuations 🏠: No current evacuations
The lightning-sparked Stoner Mesa Fire, first reported on July 28, is burning west of Telluride inside the San Juan National Forest in Dolores County.
In an update Monday evening, fire officials said the San Juan Team 8 Incident Management Team will assume responsibilities for the fire on Tuesday. Firefighters on Monday were able to take advantage of the wet weather that moved through the area.
To sign up for Dolores County emergency alerts, click here. To sign up for Montezuma County emergency alerts, click here.
Blue Ridge Fire Size: 25 acres Containment: 100% First reported: Aug. 15 Cause: Under investigation Location: La Plata County Notes: All evacuation and pre-evacuation orders lifted on Aug. 18.
Crosho Fire Size:2,073 acres Containment:100% First reported:Aug. 11 at 3:25 pm. Cause:Unknown
Deer Creek Fire Size: 17,724 Acres Containment: 100% First reported: July 10 Cause: Under investigation (as of last update on Aug. 12) Location: Eastern Utah and Montrose County (Colorado)
Leroux Fire Size: 195 Acres Containment: 100% First reported: Aug. 3 Cause: ⚡️ Location: Delta County
Oak Fire Size: 75 acres Contained: 78% (as of last update on Aug. 13) First reported: Aug. 10 Cause: Structure fire Location: Archuleta County west of Pagosa Springs Notes: The Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office said two suspects have been arrested in connection with an illegal burn that started this fire. The suspects have been identified as Sergio Alaniz Jr., 41, and Ross Heirigs, 60. They were arrested on charges of fourth-degree arson.
Peninsula Fire Size: 17 acres Containment: 80% (as of last update on Aug. 10) First reported: Aug. 8 Cause: ⚡️ Location: South of Highway 145, between Norwood and Placerville
South Rim Fire Size: 4,232 Acres Containment: 100% containment likely will not occur until snowfall First reported: July 10 Cause: ⚡️ Location: Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Turner Gulch Fire Size:31,699 acres Contained: 96% First reported:July 10 Cause: ⚡️ Location: 8 miles northeast of Gateway in Mesa County Evacuations 🏠: All evacuation orders have been lifted
Wright Draw Fire Size: 466 acres Containment: 100% First reported: July 10 Cause: ⚡️ Location: Mesa County
Windy Gap Fire Size: 30 acres Containment: 100% First reported: Aug. 6 Cause: Unknown Location: Grand County
Yellowjacket Fire Size: 29 acres Contained: 40% (as of last update on Aug. 16) First reported: Aug. 15 Cause: Unknown Location: Northeast of Meeker
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GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Lightning is being blamed for sparking at least 10 wildfires in the Grand Junction area in the past 24 hours, according to the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit on Saturday.
Most of the fires have been contained to a quarter-acre in size, the agency said. However, the Baxter Fire, as it is being called, burning 15 miles northwest of Mack, has grown to more than five acres.
That Mesa County blaze is burning in rugged and remote terrain, making it difficult for crews to reach, the Upper Colorado fire agency said. But additional resources have arrived to assist in containing the Baxter Fire.
More dry thunderstorms are forecast again for the area Saturday, increasing the potential for new fires.
In Grand County, firefighters responded Saturday to a new fire burning two miles southwest of Meadow Creek Reservoir. The Hurd Fire is only a half-acre in size and 50% contained as of Sunday. There is no word on its origin.
Besides Mother Nature, the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit said that of the 133 Colorado wildfires started in 2025, 79 of them have been human-caused.
The 42-acre La Plata Fire, first reported Aug. 16, was caused by an abandoned campfire, fire officials reported Saturday. The fire is 0% contained and burning in the Pike-San Isabel National Forests, four miles west of Twin Lakes in Chaffee and Lake counties.
Crews battling the La Plata Fire are getting some help as almost a half-inch of rain fell over the area overnight.
Other Western Slope counties have seen similar fires over the past couple of months.
The extreme fire behavior prompted Gov. Jared Polis to sign an executive order declaring a disaster emergency, which will bolster the state’s response to these and any new potential wildfires.
Denver7 is tracking several other wildfires on Colorado’s Western Slope. Below is a summary of those fires, containment amounts and where residents can learn more details.
Size: 5,248 acres Containment: 0% First reported: Aug. 16 Cause: ⚡️ Location: 13 miles north of Dotsero Evacuations 🏠: Mandatory evacuations and pre-evacuation notices can be viewed here.
The lightning-sparked Derby Fire, first reported on Aug. 16, is burning 13 miles north of Dotsero in Eagle and Garfield counties.
On Friday, a helicopter assigned to the Derby Fire was involved in an “incident,” according to the US Forest Service.
The agency said there is an unconfirmed report that the aircraft is in a lake 13 miles northwest of the Eagle County Regional Airport.
The US Forest Service said the helicopter pilot was picked up by another aircraft and flown to Eagle County Regional Airport. The pilot was checked out by emergency medical personnel and had “minor bumps and bruises” but refused further medical attention.
At least one structure has been lost in the Sugarloaf Mountain area due to the fire, officials said.
On Sunday, officials said they are working on a plan to allow limited access to the evacuation zone for some Sweetwater residents—specifically, those who own property or depend on it for their livelihood.
Size: 137,758 acres Containment: 86% First reported: Aug. 2 Cause: ⚡️ Location: 18 miles southwest of Meeker Evacuations 🏠: For the most up-to-date evacuation map, click here. Pre-evacuations: For the most up-to-date pre-evacuation map, click here.
The lightning-sparked Lee Fire, first reported on Aug. 2, is burning 18 miles southwest of Meeker in Rio Blanco County.
Three homes and 12 outbuildings have burned so far in the Lee Fire, according to officials in Rio Blanco County, who said firefighters completed chipping operations on the east flank of the fire.
In a Saturday update, fire officials said Lee that afternoon storms Friday produced nearly 0.20 inch of rain in Meeker, but no measurable amount over the fire area. However, suppression efforts were successful in the northwestern corner of the fire area on a hot spot that was detected.
However, a week-long wet pattern will bring rounds of showers and thunderstorms to the fire area, with notable wetting rainfall by the end of the week.
Additionally, the Bureau of Land Management rescinded the land closure order for BLM-managed public lands in Garfield County because of the Lee Fire. The rescission is effective immediately because fire and emergency managers have determined the area is safe.
A partial closure of the White River National Forest is still in effect due to the fire within the Blanco Ranger District west of and including the Long-Lost Trail system.
Size: 2,072 acres Containment: 81% First reported: Aug. 11 at 3:25 pm. Cause: Unknown Location: Routt National Forest in Rio Blanco County Evacuations 🏠: No evacuations at this time
The 2,072-acre Crosho Fire, first reported on Aug. 11, is burning in Routt National Forest in Rio Blanco County. The cause of the blaze, which is threatening several structures, is unknown at this time.
The Crosho Fire continues to burn in the Routt National Forest but has seen no growth since the weekend, according to the latest update from fire officials.
Sixty-seven structures continue to be threatened by the fire, according to the Wyoming Type 3 Incident Management Team, but none have burned as of Friday.
In a Friday update, fire officials said the eastern perimeter of the fire has been contained. Mop-up operations, supported by water, were progressing to the north and west of the fire, where crews were extinguishing pockets of remaining heat.
There are currently no pre-evacuations or evacuation orders for the fire, according to the latest map from the Routt County Office of Emergency Management.
Size: 10,233 acres Containment: 41% First reported: July 28 Cause: ⚡️ Location: 5 miles west of Rico in the San Juan National Forest Evacuations 🏠: No current evacuations
The lightning-sparked Stoner Mesa Fire, first reported on July 28, is burning west of Telluride inside the San Juan National Forest in Dolores County.
The west side of the Stoner Mesa Fire, near the Stoner Creek drainage, continues to be most active, fire officials said in an update Friday, adding work will continue to improve the fireline and will conduct strategic firing operations, as conditions allow, to remove fuels between the line and the canyon rim.
On Saturday, fire activity decreased with the arrival of thunderstorms and rainfall. Overnight relative humidity recovery was high, and firefighters will see additional precipitation over the fire area for the next several days.
A community meeting is being planned for Sunday, Aug. 24, in Dolores, but no details about when or where it’ll be have been released yet.
To sign up for Dolores County emergency alerts, click here. To sign up for Montezuma County emergency alerts, click here.
Blue Ridge Fire Size: 25 acres Containment: 100% First reported: Aug. 15 Cause: Under investigation Location: La Plata County Notes: All evacuation and pre-evacuation orders lifted on Aug. 18.
Oak Fire Size: 75 acres Contained: 78% (as of last update on Aug. 13) First reported: Aug. 10 Cause: Structure fire Location: Archuleta County west of Pagosa Springs Notes: The Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office said two suspects have been arrested in connection with an illegal burn that started this fire. The suspects have been identified as Sergio Alaniz Jr., 41, and Ross Heirigs, 60. They were arrested on charges of fourth-degree arson.
Peninsula Fire Size: 17 acres Containment: 80% (as of last update on Aug. 10) First reported: Aug. 8 Cause: ⚡️ Location: South of Highway 145, between Norwood and Placerville
Yellowjacket Fire Size: 29 acres Contained: 40% (as of last update on Aug. 16) First reported: Aug. 15 Cause: Unknown Location: Northeast of Meeker
Deer Creek Fire Size: 17,724 Acres Containment: 100% First reported: July 10 Cause: Under investigation (as of last update on Aug. 12) Location: Eastern Utah and Montrose County (Colorado)
South Rim Fire Size: 4,232 Acres Containment: 100% containment likely will not occur until snowfall First reported: July 10 Cause: ⚡️ Location: Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Turner Gulch Fire Size:31,699 acres Contained: 96% First reported:July 10 Cause: ⚡️ Location: 8 miles northeast of Gateway in Mesa County Evacuations 🏠: All evacuation orders have been lifted
Leroux Fire Size: 195 Acres Containment: 100% First reported: Aug. 3 Cause: ⚡️ Location: Delta County
Wright Draw Fire Size: 466 acres Containment: 100% First reported: July 10 Cause: ⚡️ Location: Mesa County
Windy Gap Fire Size: 30 acres Containment: 100% First reported: Aug. 6 Cause: Unknown Location: Grand County
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Three people were killed after the driver of a Jeep Grand Cherokee hit two Colorado Department of Transportation employees working outside their vehicle on U.S. 6 near Palisade.
Colorado State Patrol troopers responded to a fatal crash on westbound U.S. 6 between Palisade and Clifton in Mesa County around 10:42 a.m. Wednesday, agency officials said in a news release.
Investigators determined the driver of the Jeep Grand Cherokee struck two CDOT workers who were working outside of their vehicle and then hit a parked CDOT vehicle, causing the Jeep to roll.
The CDOT vehicle was parked off the right side of the road, CSP officials said.
One person in the Jeep was taken to the hospital and a second person in the Jeep died at the scene. Both CDOT workers died at the scene.
Troopers are still investigating the cause of the crash, according to the agency.
