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Governor Mobilizes National Guard to Fight Massive Elk and Lee Fires Near Meeker
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Governor Mobilizes National Guard to Fight Massive Elk and Lee Fires Near Meeker

By Heather Willard | KDVR Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — On Wednesday night, Gov. Jared Polis authorized the mobilization of the Colorado National Guard to aid with fire response near Meeker. The authorization allows the state authority to use the National Guard assets in fire suppression efforts if necessary. The Governor’s Office noted that the wind has continued to drive the Rio Blanco County fires, pushing the Lee Fire to jump Highway 13 on Wednesday and leading to the area around Meeker being evacuated and the town of Meeker being placed on pre-evacuation status. The Lee Fire, as of Wednesday evening, was estimated to have burned 45,000 acres, according to the Colorado Governor’s Office. Over the weekend, Polis verbally declared a disaster emergency for the Elk Fire in Rio Blan...
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Wildfires Force New Evacuations Across Rio Blanco and Garfield Counties
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Wildfires Force New Evacuations Across Rio Blanco and Garfield Counties

By  Spencer Kristensen | KDVR Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — As crews continue to battle wildfires across the state, more evacuations and pre-evacuations have been ordered due to several fires growing in size. Multiple agencies in different jurisdictions around Colorado ordered a new round of evacuations and pre-evacuations on Wednesday afternoon. Rio Blanco County: Lee and Elk Fires There are two large wildfires in Rio Blanco County that have burned more than 30,000 acres. Evacuations have already been sent for certain areas in the county, and the Rio Blanco Sheriff’s Office continued with more evacuations and pre-evacuations on Wednesday. Zone 40 Zone 40 is located southwest of Meeker and just east of Lion Canyon. The area contains a stretch of Highway 13. Immediate e...
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Redistricting off the table in Colorado? Independent commission holds the line
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Redistricting off the table in Colorado? Independent commission holds the line

By Gabrielle Franklin | KDVR Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — The battle over the balance of power in Congress is already underway with the 2026 midterm election still more than a year away. Reactions to Texas Democrats fleeing their state to avoid a vote to redraw the state’s congressional maps continue to grow as states with Democratic majorities threaten counteraction. Could Colorado act too? FOX31’s political analysts both said it is unlikely the state would take any action on redistricting soon, but there are still some observations to be learned from the Lone Star State. “No, I don’t see Colorado joining that arms race,” said FOX31 Political Analyst and Republican strategist Michael Fields. “We redistrict every 10 years. We’re not at a time where we redistrict right now,” said F...
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Feds Approve Colorado Ban on Buying Soda with Food Stamps
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Feds Approve Colorado Ban on Buying Soda with Food Stamps

By Dara Bitler | KDVR FOX31 DENVER (KDVR) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has allowed Colorado to exempt sugary beverages and soda from being purchased with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funds. The announcement was made on Monday, following the state’s submission of the waiver request on May 13. The waiver will take effect in 2026, according to a release from the USDA. The SNAP waiver is designed to bring a focus on healthy eating, according to Colorado Governor Jared Polis. The waiver changes what foods can be purchased through SNAP. Beneficiaries can still purchase milk-based drinks and 100% juice drinks with their SNAP benefits, but sweetened beverages, such as soft drinks with sugar or artificial sweeteners, will be excluded. The waiver specifically exclud...
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Over 4200 Acres Burned in South Rim Wildfire, Now 50% Contained
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Over 4200 Acres Burned in South Rim Wildfire, Now 50% Contained

By Jacob Factor | KDVR Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — As containment grows for the more than 4,000-acre wildfire burning in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, officials have detailed some of the park’s losses, what crews have saved and what’s next for the park as portions reopen. Fire officials recently published a detailed story map of the South Rim Fire, which has burned about 4,200 acres in the National Park in Montrose County and just Wednesday surpassed 50% containment. The fire has been burning since lightning ignited it and several other Colorado wildfires on July 10. Fire officials in a Wednesday morning update said the north rim side of the National Park is also set to reopen Wednesday. Here’s a look at where the South Rim Fire is now and how the Black Canyon of the Gu...
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CPW Confirmation of New Wolf Pups Raises Alarms in Colorado Ranch Country
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CPW Confirmation of New Wolf Pups Raises Alarms in Colorado Ranch Country

By Heather Willard | KDVR Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — State biologists shared a minimum count of pups for one of the newly-named packs in Colorado, marking the third pack to have confirmed pups after reintroduction. Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced Wednesday night that the One Ear Pack in Jackson County has a minimum of six pups, and shared video of the pups playing in a field. The video is linked in the video player above. Earlier this month, CPW shared footage from a game camera showing three wolf pups playing in a Routt County clearing. The news comes on the heels of the agency announcing it had named three packs this year after more wolves were reintroduced to the state from Canada. The other named packs in Colorado are the Copper Creek Pack, which was established in 2024 and i...
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CPW moves to kill second wolf from Copper Creek Pack after July depredation
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CPW moves to kill second wolf from Copper Creek Pack after July depredation

By Heather Willard | Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff are in the field to kill a member of the Copper Creek gray wolf pack after repeated livestock deaths. The action comes nearly two months after CPW killed a gray wolf in Pitkin County connected to the same pack. CPW told FOX31 on Tuesday that its staff is in the field in Pitkin County, “undertaking additional lethal control efforts” that align with the agency’s and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s rules on chronic depredation and lethal removal of depredating wolves. Depredations, in this case, refer to a wolf stealing or killing a rancher’s product or livestock. The news comes on the heels of a calf depredation discovered on July 18. CPW stated that the calf appeared to have been injured ...
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Hundreds to Be Laid Off as Denver’s Progressive Agenda Faces $200M Deficit
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Hundreds to Be Laid Off as Denver’s Progressive Agenda Faces $200M Deficit

By Heather Willard | KDVR Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — Denver city and county employees will see layoff notifications during the week of Aug. 18, according to the mayor’s office, which cited budget woes. “These are not easy days, and these are not easy decisions,” wrote Mayor Mike Johnston to the city and county employees in a letter sent Tuesday. “Every role in this city matters, and every person in those roles has contributed to our city in meaningful ways.” The number of impacted employees was not shared. In May, the Denver Mayor’s Office said that city employees would experience furloughs in the face of a $50 million revenue gap and $200 million deficit. He also noted that the city had seen a 0.3% revenue growth, which is far below the previous 5% growth seen by the city before...
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Cap City Tavern Becomes Latest Victim of Denver’s Homelessness and High Costs
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Cap City Tavern Becomes Latest Victim of Denver’s Homelessness and High Costs

By Hanna Powers | KDVR Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — After nearly 20 years in business, a beloved Capitol Hill restaurant and bar is preparing to close its doors for good. Cap City Tavern, located at 13th and Sherman, will pour its final round this Sunday. Owners Dino and Piper McTaggart say the decision comes after years of financial struggles brought on by rising costs, city fees, and declining foot traffic downtown. “This was my lifelong dream,” Piper McTaggart said. “We haven’t taken a salary in a year and a half, and we just got a huge tax bill. The writing was on the wall.” The owners say they feel let down by city leaders, citing ongoing issues with safety, homelessness, and a lack of support for small businesses in the downtown corridor. “There are people defecating and liv...
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More Than 200 Dangerous Illegal Immigrants Captured in Denver ICE Raid
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More Than 200 Dangerous Illegal Immigrants Captured in Denver ICE Raid

By Heather Willard | KDVR Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials announced Wednesday that 243 people were arrested in the Denver metro area who the agency says are “currently charged with or have been convicted of criminal offenses after illegally entering the United States.”  The operation was conducted from July 12 through 20, and ICE provided the following reasons for the arrests: DUI: 17 Theft (including burglary, robbery and motor vehicle theft): 8 Assault (including aggravated assault and domestic violence): 13 Drug offenses (including distribution of fentanyl): 9 Sex offenses (including sex assault and sexual exploitation of a minor): 5 Homicide (including murder and vehicular manslaughter): 2 Human trafficking: 1 ...
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