DENVER — Five wildfires burning on hundreds of square miles across western Colorado have destroyed at least five homes and 19 outbuildings, according to fire officials.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency on Wednesday for one of the newest fires, the Crosho fire, according to a news release from his office.

The 1,700-acre Crosho fire, which sparked Monday in Rio Blanco County and spread across the border of Routt County, prompted numerous evacuations Tuesday night, fire officials said.

Polis previously issued disaster declarations for the Oak fire near Pagosa Springs, the now-contained Leroux fire near Hotchkiss and the Elk and Lee fires near Meeker.

At least five homes and 14 outbuildings have been destroyed by the two wildfires burning on either side of Meeker in Rio Blanco County, sheriff’s officials said.

Together, the Elk and Lee fires have consumed more than 137,000 acres, equal to roughly 215 square miles, and forced evacuations across Rio Blanco and Garfield counties.

Three other wildfires burning in western Colorado, including the Crosho fire, had charred nearly another 9,000 acres as of Wednesday evening.

Mandatory evacuations remain in place for the Stoner Mesa fire in Dolores County but were lifted at noon Wednesday for the Oak fire in Archuleta County, which has destroyed at least five outbuildings.

The Lee and Elk fires near Meeker

Colorado’s fifth-largest wildfire on record, the Lee fire, has consumed more than 120,000 acres and forced evacuations in both Rio Blanco and Garfield counties as it continues to spread, fire officials said Wednesday.

Containment on the 123,222-acre wildfire dropped to 4% Wednesday as the flames pushed south to the border of Rio Blanco and Garfield counties for the first time, evacuating people living near the border.

The percentage dropped because of the fire’s increased size, not because the fire crossed containment lines, fire officials said.

The Lee fire, fueled by persistent hot, dry and windy conditions, grew by more than 3,000 acres on Wednesday.

Firefighters have created fire lines along Colorado 13 and are working to hold them, fire officials said Wednesday. To the south, crews are hoping to use roads, trails and other natural features to halt the Lee fire’s flames.

East of Meeker, the Elk fire is burning on 14,549 acres and is 75% contained. The wildfire has not grown in several days.

The Lee fire has destroyed three homes and 12 outbuildings, while the Elk fire has destroyed two homes and two outbuildings, Rio Blanco County Sheriff Anthony Mazzola said.

A red flag warning will be in effect from noon to 10 p.m. on Thursday for much of western Colorado, including Meeker, according to the National Weather Service.

Gusty winds up to 25 mph, relative humidities as low as 9% and hot temperatures could fuel rapid fire growth, according to the warning.

Fire officials said "critical fire weather" is expected Thursday.

"Any fire that develops will catch and spread quickly," weather service forecasters stated. "Outdoor burning is not recommended."

Ongoing evacuations include a stretch of Colorado 64 north of the fire, areas along Colorado 13 east of the fire from Colorado 64 to Monument Peak and multiple zones along the fire's southern edge.

Pre-evacuation orders are active for areas including near and along Big Beaver Creek, the Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway, Red Canyon, Jordan Gulch, Colorado 64, Harris Gulch, the Grand Hogback, Ward Gulch and East Middle Fork Parachute Creek.

The Oak fire, near Pagosa Springs

Evacuations lifted at noon on Wednesday for the 75-acre Oak fire burning near Pagosa Springs, according to the Archuleta County Sheriff's Office.

The fire sparked Sunday afternoon and evacuated two subdivisions. It also put a large section of Pagosa Springs on pre-evacuation status, sheriff's officials said.

Residents will need to provide identification or proof of address at checkpoints to access areas that were under mandatory evacuation orders, sheriff's officials said.

The Oak fire was 78% contained as of Wednesday evening, sheriff's officials said.

The wildfire threatened more than 5,100 buildings and 2,000 homes, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Sheriff's officials said the wildfire damaged a small barn, one pump house, one pergola, one carport and a camper trailer, but no homes. The department has not updated the damage reported since Monday.

The Stoner Mesa fire, near Dolores

A wildfire burning in southwestern Colorado's San Juan National Forest has charred more than 7,300 acres, fire officials said Wednesday.

The Stoner Mesa fire, which started last week about 20 miles northeast of Dolores, was last mapped at 7,390 acres with no containment, according to a Thursday morning update from fire officials. It grew roughly 300 acres on Wednesday.

Shifting winds and drought conditions have contributed to the fire's growth, officials said.

The nearby town of Rico remains on pre-evacuation status, and parts of the national forest are closed to the public because of the fire.

Crosho fire near Yampa

A third wildfire burning in Rio Blanco County, northeast of the Elk and Lee fires, tripled in size on Wednesday.

The Crosho fire sparked in the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests on Monday and had grown to roughly 1,700 acres by Wednesday. It was mapped at 500 acres on Tuesday night.

The wildfire forced mandatory evacuations as it burned east, across the border of Routt County, officials said.

People living east of Crosho Lake to Routt County Road 17 should leave immediately, county officials said. The evacuation zone includes Heart Mountain and stretches of County Road 13 and County Road 15. County fire crews are focused on protecting buildings threatened by the fire, officials said Wednesday.

Updated Routt County evacuation maps are available online.

The wildfire was discovered Monday at Crosho Lake, about 8 miles west of Yampa. The cause of the fire is unknown.

Statewide impacts

The heaviest smoke will be in the areas closest to the fires, especially overnight and in the early morning, state health officials said.

Residents should consider limiting their time outdoors, especially young children, older adults and those with heart disease or respiratory illnesses, according to air quality advisories issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

The current advisories were issued on Wednesday morning and are set to expire at 9 a.m. Thursday.

If visibility drops to less than 5 miles, the smoke has reached unhealthy levels.

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