By Shannon Lukens. Photo courtesy Routt County Sheriff Doug Scherar.
UPDATE at noon: A Level 3 GO Evacuation Order has been issued for the area of Crosho Lake. (Should be Hwy 131 to the west.)
UPDATE: The Routt County Extension office writes on the Routt County Extension Facebook page: As fires continue to impact Northwest Colorado, animal evacuations are taking place to remove livestock from threatened areas. If you have resources to assist with this effort, such as fenced grazing areas appropriate for range-type animals, ability to haul water or livestock, or skills to repair fencing, please take a moment to fill out this form. Stay safe and healthy.
Routt County Emergency Livestock Grazing Questionnaire
If you need assistance completing this form, please call the extension office at 970-879-0825.
The Crosho Fire has grown to 300 acres as of Tuesday morning. This is near Crosho Lake Recreation Area, in the Flat Tops Recreation Region, and the Routt and Rio Blanco County border about ten miles west of Yampa and Phippsburg. It is burning in Rio Blanco County.
Aaron Voos is the Public Affairs Specialist with the Routt National Forest, and has provided an update and has several requests.
Transcript: “A couple of key bits of information on the Crosho Fire. Number one, there is an active aggressive response to the fire beginning yesterday afternoon continuing into today, both ground and aerial resources. So we really need to encourage the public to avoid the area. Absolutely no drones are allowed in the area. If there were to be drones launched it would shut down aerial response and would really impact our response to this fire so absolutely no drones.
Can’t stress that enough.
There is a response from both Rio Blanco County and Routt County. Routt County has closed County Road 15 to any local, or to any public traffic. That’s emergency access only right now so please don’t try and drive up that road. Chapman Reservoir campground is closed. Crosho Lake dispersed camping in that area is closed and the forest service is working on an area closurefor the area.
Additional information would be that the fire size is approximately of couple hundred acres as of this morning. We’re working on a little bit better size up to that right now.
How do you think the fire started? Do you know yet? No information on that. Just working on the active and aggressive response right now.”
Please stay out of the area of the area Crosho Fire. Don’t drive back there to look. County Road 15 is closed to only emergency vehicles.
Absolutely no drones. Voos says they will hinder aerial operations and shut down any aerial response.
Watch Duty is reporting the fire has burned 300 acres.
Both Routt and Rio Blanco counties are responding and Voos says Routt County is heavily involved as it is on the border.
Photos courtesy Routt County Sheriff Doug Scherar.
Pre-Evacuation Notice ALERT from Routt County Dispatch: This is a pre-evacuation notice. Residents should prepare to evacuate the following area due to the Crosho fire in Rio Blanco county near the Routt County line. Residents in the area bordered by County Road 19 to the north, Highway 131 to the west, (edited) County Road 13 to the south and the Crosho Lake area to the west are included. Updates will be sent as needed.
Update from Routt County Tuesday morning, Aug. 12
Crosho Fire Update
Routt County, CO, August 12, 2025 – On Monday, August 11, 2025, Routt County dispatch received several calls regarding a potential fire near South Routt. The fire was confirmed near Crosho Lake in Rio Blanco County on Forest Service land. The Forest Service has taken command of this incident with support from Routt County Sheriff’s Office, Routt County Office of Emergency Management and local fire districts.
The fire grew to 100 acres overnight. Currently there are 110 firefighters on scene from Yampa Oak Creek and Steamboat Springs Fire Districts along with federal fire teams. Aviation assets have been requested, and should be on scene shortly. The fire has reached private property in Routt County, however no structures are immediately threatened. Local fire districts are focused on protecting the several structures that may become threatened.
Evacuation zones have been created in partnership with Rio Blanco County. Sign up for alerts:
- Rio Blanco Alerts: https://rioblancoalerts.genasys.com/portal/en
- Routt County Alerts: RouttCountyAlerts.com.
Contact: info@co.routt.co.us
Actualización sobre el incendio de Crosho
Condado de Routt, Colorado, 12 de Agosto de 2025. El lunes 11 de Agosto de 2025, el centro de operaciones del condado de Routt recibió varias llamadas relacionadas con un posible incendio cerca de South Routt. El incendio se confirmó cerca del lago Crosho, en el condado de Río Blanco, en terrenos del Servicio Forestal. El Servicio Forestal ha tomado el mando de este incidente con el apoyo de la Oficina del Sheriff del condado de Routt, la Oficina de Gestión de Emergencias del condado de Routt y los distritos locales de bomberos.
El incendio se extendió a 100 acres durante la noche. Actualmente hay 110 bomberos en el lugar procedentes de los distritos de bomberos de Yampa Oak Creek y Steamboat Springs, junto con equipos federales de bomberos. Se han solicitado recursos aéreos, que deberían llegar al lugar en breve. El incendio ha alcanzado propiedades privadas en el condado de Routt, pero ninguna estructura se encuentra en peligro inmediato. Los distritos locales de bomberos se centran en proteger las diversas estructuras que podrían verse amenazadas.
Se han creado zonas de evacuación en colaboración con el condado de Rio Blanco. Suscríbase a las alertas:
– Alertas de Rio Blanco: https://rioblancoalerts.genasys.com/portal/en
– Alertas del condado de Routt: RouttCountyAlerts.com.
Contacto: info@co.routt.co.us
Photos courtesy Matthew Wood.