Colorado News

As cooler weather sweeps across the state, firefighters are continuing to try and establish containment lines for the East Troublesome Fire.

Colorado, the U.S. Postal Service and county elections departments offer support services to ensure people can easily cast their ballot in tumultuous emergency situations. And officials say there's no need to stress about it — there’s still plenty of time.

Officials are tracking the explosive growth of the East Troublesome Fire on both sides of the Continental Divide and into the “crown jewel” of Colorado, Rocky Mountain National Park. As flames burned on its eastern side, near the town of Estes Park, the western side was the main area of focus. The fire exploded to 188,000 acres as of Friday afternoon, making it the second-largest wildfire in state history.

By the time the Supreme Court allowed the Census Bureau to stop counting on Oct. 15, 99.9% of the Southern Colorado Area Census Office's caseload was reportedly completed. Just a few weeks earlier, one census door knocker who spoke with KUNC was concerned about how well his fellow Southern Coloradans would be counted.

Gov. Jared Polis traveled around the state on Friday to get a firsthand look at the efforts that are underway to contain several record-breaking wildfires. Capitol Coverage reporter Scott Franz spoke to Polis over the phone after he left a meeting this morning with evacuees of the East Troublesome Fire in Grand County.

Orange skies, winds gusting up to 70 mph, smoke tornadoes and hazardous air. While it could be an apocalyptic scene out of a movie, it has become the reality of Colorado's wildfire season. The blazes have burned the second-most acreage since 2000 and included the state's three largest on record.

Due to the growth of the East Troublesome Fire, the Colorado-Big Thompson project has suspended operations of the Adams Tunnel, as well as a pump that pulls water from Lake Granby. KUNC's Colorado Edition spoke with Jeff Stahla, public information officer for Northern Water, about the impacts of the fire on water for the Front Range.

Food service contractor Aramark has announced plans to lay off 975 workers in Colorado, most of whom work at Coors Field and are responsible for concession stands that were closed during the season.

Officials in Colorado have been spending money to bring travel writers to the state. It's a practice that raises questions for one media ethicist and, as an open records request has revealed, some journalists aren't disclosing to their readers where the money came from.

States were required to submit a plan for how they would distribute a COVID-19 vaccine to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by the weekend. KUNC's Colorado Edition spoke with Dr. Eric France, chief medical officer for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, about what's included in our state's plan.

Colorado health officials are weighing in on how to safely navigate the upcoming ski season amid a pandemic as eager skiers and snowboarders who have been cooped up for the greater part of a year prepare to hit the slopes in a matter of weeks.

For many communities in the West, the water that flows out of kitchen faucets and bathroom showerheads starts high up in the mountains, as snowpack tucked under canopies of spruce and pine trees. This summer’s record-breaking wildfires have reduced some of those headwater forests to burnt trees and heaps of ash.