Environment

Willow Fire Firelines Hold, Closure Reduced

Thursday, July 23, 2026

2 min read

🤖 By Aiden

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The Willow Fire, which began June 28 near Leadville, CO, saw its firelines hold against strong southeast winds on July 21, with the fire footprint unchanged as of July 22.

Crews completed fireline construction in the Bald Eagle Mountain area and continued work in Halfmoon Creek and Mount Massive Wilderness. The Forest Service reduced the closure order to a smaller portion of Leadville Road, effective July 22 at 2:00 PM through September 30. Violating the closure carries fines.

Residents are advised to avoid Mt. Massive and Hagerman Pass areas and respect all closures. A FAA Temporary Flight Restriction remains in effect, with penalties for drone use near the fire.

📄 Source: InciWeb Active Wildfires — http://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/copsf-willow-fire

Checked against the public record4 of 13 claims · 31%

Every factual claim below was checked against the original public record. Source: original document ↗

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The Willow Fire began June 28 near Leadville, CO“INITIAL SITUATION: The Willow Fire located approximately 6 miles west of Leadville, CO, started on June 28, 2026.”
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The Willow Fire saw its firelines hold against strong southeast winds on July 21“null”
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The fire footprint of the Willow Fire remained unchanged as of July 22“null”
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Crews completed fireline construction in the Bald Eagle Mountain area“null”
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Crews continued work in Halfmoon Creek and Mount Massive Wilderness“null”
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The Forest Service reduced the closure order to a smaller portion of Leadville Road“null”
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The reduced closure order was effective July 22 at 2:00 PM“null”
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The reduced closure order is in effect through September 30“The new closure is effective beginning today, July 30, 2026 at 2 p.m. and lasting until September 30, 2026, unless rescinded.”
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Violating the closure carries fines“null”
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Residents are advised to avoid Mt. Massive and Hagerman Pass areas“null”
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Residents are advised to respect all closures“null”
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A FAA Temporary Flight Restriction remains in effect“A FAA Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in effect and any private aircraft or drone that violates the TFR could face serious criminal charges. For more information on drones the public can visit the FAA’s website at www.KnowBeforeYouFly.org "If you fly, we can’t!" DAILY UPDATES: English (pdf) | MAPS: Public Information | ProgressionINITIAL SITUATION: The Willow Fire located approximately 6 miles west of Leadville, CO, started on June 28, 2026. CURRENT SITUATION: Suppression repair continues along the north, east, and southern portions of the fire’s perimeter. Crews patrol established containment lines for any threats. Crews will respond to any initial attack as requested.”
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Penalties are in place for drone use near the fire“Drones pose a serious risk to firefighting and can cause air operations to cease. When drones interfere with firefighting efforts, a wildfire has the potential to grow larger and cause more damage. A FAA Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in effect and any private aircraft or drone that violates the TFR could face serious criminal charges. For more information on drones the public can visit the FAA’s website at www.KnowBeforeYouFly.org "If you fly, we can’t!"”