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West Boulder in Stage 1 Fire Restriction; Colorado Democrats at Aurora ICE Detention Center Jack Armstrong
Headlines Tuesday August 12, 2025
Boulder County Enacts Stage 1 Fire Restrictions
At midnight, Boulder Sheriff Curtis Johnson issued Stage 1 fire restrictions for unincorporated areas of western Boulder County. The county used data from the National Weather Service in making the decision which forecasted the area’s lack of moisture and hot temperatures.
The affected area includes the entirety of the rabbit mountain open space, the area west of Boulder County’s southern border along Colorado highway 93, and the western portion of US 36 past its intersection with Broadway avenue.
Under fire restriction, residents should avoid uncontrolled, open flames – this includes building an open fire on public lands, discharging a firearm, light off a firework, smoking outside, and operating gas-powered equipment without a USDA approved spark arrester.
On the Boulder County and USDA website, residents can find a handy infographic for what activities can and can’t be done outside under a fire restriction.
For more information on fire restrictions on USFS land within Boulder County, visit the USDA’s alert website and search for fire restriction information.
Wildfires Update – Lee Fire Became 5th Largest Wildfire in State History
In statewide fire coverage, the Lee fire became the 5th largest wildfire in Colorado history, burning more than more than 113,000 acres. Colorado’s other biggest fires include Cameron Peak, East Troublesome, and Pine Gulch which, combined, burned more than 500,000 acres in 2020. That’s all according to The Colorado Sun.
Firefighters at the edge of the fire are trying to hold the fire back from jumping over Colorado state road 13 as it’s trending further south. According to Sun, officials are concerned for the safety of the Piceance-East Douglas Herd Management Area, home to more than 700 horses.
Last night, the communities of Meeker and Rifle held a meeting updating folks about the fire situation at Colorado Mountain College. Officials told those living in the mountain towns about their efforts to protect critical infrastructure and livestock.
As the Lee Fire lingers around 7 percent containment, the nearby Elk fire, which has burned more than 14,000 acres, is around 30 percent contained as of Monday night.
More than 100 firefighters are working to contain fires more towards southwestern Colorado, with Archuleta county sheriff saying the Oak fire is hovering around 10 percent. That’s according to Fox 31 News.
Colorado Democratic Representatives Aurora GEO ICE Detention Center
Colorado’s four Democratic U.S. House members conducted a tour of the Aurora immigration detention center Monday and said they left with more questions than answers.
U.S. Rep. Jason Crow was denied access to the Aurora Immigration detention center last month. On Monday, Crow returned; joined by 3 U.S. Representatives – Joe Neguse, Diana DeGette and Brittany Pettersen. A new U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement policy required they give 7 days notice. Neguse, Crow and 10 of their colleagues are suing the federal government, arguing that the seven-day notice requirement violates federal law. Congresswoman Diana Degette said about this policy, “It’s a constitutional duty of Congress to do oversight of facilities like this. And there’s nothing in the law that says members of congress should have to give previous notice. The reason we gave previous notice — we wanted to see what the heck was in there.”
Advocates and attorneys elsewhere in the United States have raised concerns about conditions in ICE detention facilities. Crow said he’d toured this Aurora facility nine times before, and information was more tightly guarded this time. Senior ICE personnel were not present during the visit and the legislators were told that staff could not provide information about the prison’s detainees.
One of the detainees told the 4 legislators that posters in the facility encouraged detainees to self-deport — but there was little to no information about what the process entailed.
Representative Crow said “I would love to know who is being detained in the system. What types of people are they holding in our community?” For more information about conditions in the facilities, and quotes from detainees, go to KGNU.org/headlines.
Negotiations between DPS and Teacher’s Union Reopen
Yesterday, Denver Public Schools reopened negotiations with the district’s union for office professionals.
Negotiations began in March, aiming for an agreement before their current contract expires this month. However, the union declared an impasse in June regarding pay raises.
Now, they reopen negotiations with a mediator. Similar to how DPS reached a tentative agreement with their teachers’ union, the DCTA, on June 24.
The district offered both unions lower pay raises than they were hoping for. Both decisions are influenced by a decrease in enrollment, a 1 billion deficit in the state’s budget and the Trump administration threatening to pull funds from education.
The Denver Association of Educational Office Professionals represents more than 300 employees and is one of 10 unions in DPS. They represent librarians, accountants, buyers and many others.
Governor Safety Grants for Religious Groups
(From Colorado Capital News Alliance – Lucas Brady Woods)
Eleven Colorado places of worship and religious nonprofits are getting state funding for security upgrades. Governor Polis announced the grant recipients today/yesterday (Monday).
He says the groups are, “at high risk of terrorist attack” because of religion and beliefs. Most are Jewish organizations including synagogues, schools and community groups. The list also includes pro-Israel advocacy organization Stand With Us, the Denver Islamic Society and Rocky Mountain Christian Academy.
The grants total two hundred and fifty thousand dollars and come from the 2025 State Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
