TL;DR: Leave now if you are under a Willow Fire mandatory evacuation around Turquoise Lake, and stage go-bags and vehicles if you are in pre-evacuation areas west of Leadville.

The Willow Fire is active and growing in Lake County, Colorado, after starting the afternoon of Sunday, June 28, in the Mt. Massive Wilderness area, according to the Leadville Herald-Democrat reporting on information from the Lake County Office of Emergency Management (LCOEM).

According to that reporting, the fire was approximately 1,066 acres at 7 p.m. Sunday. The fire area is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service. Local, state and federal resources have been ordered and are on scene, according to the post cited in that coverage.

The Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, in its SEOC Update: June 28, 2026, listed the Willow Fire in Lake County at 1,106 acres with 0% containment, with the evacuation center at the Colorado Mountain College Leadville Campus and evacuation and fire updates posted to the Lake County OEM Facebook page. That state update said a DHSEM Area Field Manager was in the Lake County EOC providing support to the county emergency manager.

What started Sunday afternoon near Leadville

The fire was initially reported by WildCAD at 3:27 p.m. on Sunday, June 28, according to Ark Valley Voice coverage of the Lake County response. The same coverage said the fire had been dubbed the Willow Fire per the National Interagency Fire Center.

Early size reports escalated quickly Sunday afternoon and evening. Ark Valley Voice reported the wildfire had grown to 300 acres at the time of publishing, then updated at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, June 28, that the fire had grown to 1,006 acres.

The Leadville Herald-Democrat later cited LCOEM that the fire was approximately 1,066 acres at 7 p.m. The state SEOC update listed 1,106 acres for the Lake County fire in its June 28 compilation.

The entire region was under red flag warnings as wind gusts persisted across the region, according to Ark Valley Voice. KDNK community radio, citing the National Interagency Fire Center, reported the Willow Fire started a few miles from the Leadville Fish Hatchery and had grown in a few hours to 1,066 acres.

Air Attack observed numerous spot fires one-quarter to one-half mile ahead of the fire as of 5 p.m., according to the KDNK report, which described moderate to extreme fire behavior in continuous fuels. For households, that spotting distance is the core lesson: a wildfire edge on a windy, red-flag day is not a fixed line.

Where the fire is burning

The fire started in the Mt. Massive Wilderness area, which is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service, according to the Leadville Herald-Democrat account of the LCOEM information.

KDNK described the start as a few miles from the Leadville Fish Hatchery. Ark Valley Voice placed the outbreak in the Mt. Massive area of Lake County, in the areas around Mt. Massive and Turquoise Lake southwest of Leadville.

The Colorado Sun, reporting June 28 on wildfires across western Colorado, said the Willow fire started Sunday near the base of Mount Massive in Lake County, and evacuations were in place for campers and hikers near Turquoise Lake west of Leadville. That report said that as of Sunday evening the fire had burned more than 1,000 acres, and roads, campgrounds and trails around the lake were closed and being evacuated.

For preparedness planning, treat the names in these reports as map anchors: Turquoise Lake, Leadville National Fish Hatchery, Mt. Massive Wilderness, County Road 9 and County Road 9D, and Hagerman Pass.

Who must leave now under mandatory evacuation

LCOEM announced evacuations for County Roads 4 east of County Road 9D, 9, 9D, 5A, 48 and 99, according to the Leadville Herald-Democrat. That account also said officials would be evacuating all trails from the Leadville National Fish Hatchery, all campgrounds around Turquoise Lake and all trails up to treeline, according to a Facebook post.

Ark Valley Voice published the LCOEM mandatory list as of 5:00 p.m. Sunday, June 28, with explicit household language. The list directed residents and visitors to leave now and not to forget pets.

That 5 p.m. mandatory list included County Road 4 east to County Road 9D, County Road 9, County Road 9D, County Road 5A, County Road 48, and County Road 99. It also included all trails from the Fish Hatchery, all campgrounds around Turquoise Lake, all trails up to treeline, Colorado Trail sections in the area, and Hagerman Pass.

KDNK listed the same core mandatory areas: all campgrounds around Turquoise Lake, all trails from the fish hatchery and trails up to treeline, as well as Hagerman Pass, including Colorado Trail sections. KDNK also listed mandatory county roads as County Road 4 east to County Road 9, CR 9, 9D, 5A, 48, and County Road 99.

The message from county officials quoted in those reports was direct: if you feel you are in danger, do not wait for an evacuation notice and leave the area. Emergency alerts were sent to residents, according to the Leadville Herald-Democrat.

Households in an evacuation area should leave immediately. Do not delay to gather nonessentials. Bring pets with you.

Who is in pre-evacuation and what to stage

A pre-evacuation notice was given for homes in the Grand West area, Mountain View East and West, Turquoise Lake Estates, Silver Hills subdivision and homes on County Road 9, 17 and 4, according to the Leadville Herald-Democrat account.

Ark Valley Voice, in a 7:18 p.m. Sunday, June 28 update, listed the same pre-evacuation locations: homes in the Grand West Area, Mountain View East and West, Turquoise Lake Estates, Silver Hills Subdivision, and homes on County Roads 9, 17, and 4.

That update asked residents and visitors in those locations to begin preparing now, gather essential items, remember pets and kids' essentials, and pack vehicles to be ready to evacuate at a moment's notice. It said no mandatory evacuation for those areas had been ordered at that time, but conditions could change quickly.

The same update stated that pre-evacuation means evacuation for large animals. For family resilience, that means moving horses, goats and other large animals early, while trailers can still roll and gates and water are available.

KDNK phrased the warning tier as evacuation warnings for homes in the Grand West area, including Mountain View East and West, Turquoise Lake Estates, Silver Hills Subdivision, and homes on County Roads 9, 17, and 4.

If you are in a pre-evacuation area, pack the car now. Stage carriers, leashes, food, water, medications, and papers where they can be loaded in minutes.

Where to go for shelter and family assistance

The Colorado Mountain College Gym at 901 US-24 is the evacuation point for residents, according to the Leadville Herald-Democrat. Lake County Public Health and Human Services are manning the site.

Ark Valley Voice said displaced residents may report to the Family Assistance Center at Colorado Mountain College for shelter, not Lake County High School. That account gave the college location as 901 U.S. 24 in Leadville and later identified the Family Assistance Center as the Colorado Mountain College Gym at 901 US Highway 24 in Leadville.

The state SEOC Update: June 28, 2026 also identified the evacuation center as Colorado Mountain College Leadville Campus.

At the evacuation site are places to sleep and light refreshments, according to the Leadville Herald-Democrat. The report said the Lake County Animal Shelter was also on the site and able to house pets in an adjacent building. The site would also be printing cards for people to be able to access evacuated neighborhoods once reopened.

That credentialing detail matters for resilient homes. Keep identification accessible so re-entry paperwork can be issued without a return trip. Campers and hikers caught without lodging need the same file: identification, vehicle information, and a contact number.

So far 114 people had checked into the evacuation site, including Outward Bound and High Mountain Institute kids, according to the Leadville Herald-Democrat account. Many evacuated people were camping and were then camping in the CMC parking lot.

What to do with small and large animals

Large animals can be brought to the Buena Vista Rodeo Grounds on Gregg Drive, Buena Vista, according to the Leadville Herald-Democrat account citing Lake County Environmental Health Director Kelsy Maxie.

Ark Valley Voice, in an 11:30 p.m. Sunday update on large-animal evacuation, listed the Buena Vista Rodeo Grounds at Gregg Drive, Buena Vista 81211, and advised owners with large animals nearby not to wait to evacuate them. That account said gates were open and water would be available at the Lake County Rodeo Grounds location identified for large animals.

For small animals, Ark Valley Voice said the Leadville/Lake County Animal Shelter was ready to assist and asked owners to reach out for assistance. KDNK advised residents to bring pets with them and said those displaced could go to the Family Assistance Center at Colorado Mountain College, while large animals could be brought to the Lake County Rodeo Grounds where gates were open and water would be available.

The practical sequence is to load small pets with their food and restraints at the first pre-evacuation notice, not at the mandatory order. For large animals, confirm trailer access, gate openings and water availability before smoke reduces visibility on rural roads.

Which roads and recreation sites are closed

Turquoise Lake Road and campsites, County Road/State Highway 300 at County Road 5 and 5A (Fish Hatchery Loop), County Road 9 and 99 intersection (Leadville Junction) and County Road 4 and 48 (Turquoise Lake Dam entrance) were all closed, according to the Leadville Herald-Democrat.

Those closures align with the mandatory evacuation footprint around Turquoise Lake and the Fish Hatchery Loop. Do not drive toward a closed intersection to check conditions.

Additional closures and evacuations added Colorado Trail sections in the area and Hagerman Pass, according to Ark Valley Voice in a 5:53 p.m. update. An evacuation status map for Lake County was reported available at 10:00 p.m. Sunday, June 28, with red marking mandatory evacuation area, yellow marking pre-evacuation area, and black lines marking closed roads.

Check the Lake County OEM Facebook page, Watch Duty, and county resources for updates, as listed in that coverage. The state SEOC update likewise directed readers to Lake County OEM Facebook for evacuation and fire updates.

Why this fire is part of a statewide surge

The Willow Fire was one of several fires supported by DHSEM and the State Emergency Operations Center on June 28, according to the SEOC Update: June 28, 2026. That update listed Response Level 2, with the State EOC activated with more than one state agency.

The same state compilation listed the Snyder Mesa Fire in Mesa County at 29,152 acres with 0% containment, with pre-evacuation orders issued by the Mesa County Sheriff. It listed the Gold Mountain Fire in Ouray County at 4,217 acres with 0% containment, with an evacuation order issued by the Ouray County Sheriff and the evacuation shelter moved to Ridgway Secondary School at 1200 Green Street, Ridgway, Colorado.

The state update listed the Ferris Fire in Dolores and Montezuma Counties in San Juan National Forest at 11,749 acres with 0% containment, noting the Ferris and Far Draw fires merged that day to become the Ferris Fire. It listed the Doe Canyon Fire in San Juan National Forest in Dolores County at 2,277 acres with 0% containment.

The Red Rock Fire in Mesa County was listed at 341 acres with 60% containment, with fire information on the Upper Colorado Fire Rescue Facebook page. The 11 Fire in Fremont County was listed at 43 acres with 0% containment, with evacuation and fire updates on the Fremont County Sheriff Facebook page.

The Colorado Sun reported June 28 that high winds, heat and dry conditions had moved into the region over the weekend, with a number of wildfires burning in western Colorado and the high country. That context reinforces the household lesson from Lake County: on a multi-fire day with aircraft and crews stretched thin, early self-evacuation and a packed vehicle are protective actions, not overreactions.

Sources referenced