Flash Flooding Sends Ash and Debris Through Colorado Burn Scars

Flash flooding tore through Colorado communities near the Aspen Acres and Gold Mountain wildfire burn scars for a second straight day, forcing evacuations and closing roads as ash-laden water and debris swept downhill.

Ash-Filled Floodwater Forces Evacuations Near the Aspen Acres Burn Scar

Flash flooding surged through Beulah, Colorado, for a second consecutive day Wednesday, prompting evacuations and closing roads across the Aspen Acres burn scar. The Beulah Fire Protection and Ambulance District urged residents near Highway 78 to move to higher ground as floodwater advanced toward Central Avenue, while the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office reported mud and debris covering roads and warned drivers not to enter moving or standing water.

Runoff carried burned trees, rocks, propane tanks and other debris downhill through Beulah, San Isabel and Wetmore, worsening existing fire-related closures on Colorado Highways 165 and 78. At least one vehicle was caught in the floodwater, according to images released by the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office.

The Aspen Acres Fire has burned 101,921 acres west of Pueblo and was 66% contained Wednesday, though portions of its western edge remained uncontained.

Why Burned Landscapes Turn Ordinary Rain Into Extreme Flash Floods

Wildfires strip away vegetation that would normally absorb rainfall, and intense heat can alter soil so it repels water much like pavement instead of soaking it in. That means rain runs rapidly downhill instead of soaking into the ground, picking up ash, soil, rocks and burned vegetation along the way. Fire officials have compared the resulting debris flows to wet concrete, given their weight and ability to carry large objects.

The danger wasn't limited to the Aspen Acres burn scar. Intense flooding near the Gold Mountain burn scar in southwestern Colorado forced evacuations between Ridgway and Ouray and closed sections of U.S. 550. Crews responded to at least eight mud and rockslides along Red Mountain Pass Thursday morning, while officials warned residents near Ponderosa Village and Cutler Creek Drive to evacuate or move to higher ground.

What's Next

The threat hasn't passed. Additional thunderstorms are possible late Thursday afternoon, bringing renewed flash flooding and localized damaging wind gust risk, with more storms possible Friday and Saturday. Recently burned slopes remain vulnerable to runoff and debris flows well after the fires themselves are contained.

Residents near burn scars should move to higher ground immediately when warned, avoid canyons and drainage channels, and never drive through floodwater. Debris flows can arrive with little warning and travel well beyond the area that originally burned.

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