Colorado is in the thick of wildfire season. Multiple fires are burning across the state, prompting evacuations, filling the air with smoke and serving as a reminder that this is now what summer is often like in the West.
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One of those blazes, the Willow Fire in Lake County, has been holding steady at around 6,800 acres; it is now nearly 40% contained.
If residents want a good look at the Willow Fire, they head to Hamm's Mill on the side of Chicken Hill, east of Leadville.
"It's a great overlook," said Craig Schreiber.
Since the fire began, residents like Schreiber have been driving up the dusty hill to watch smoke billowing off the mountains in the distance. He and his wife recently returned from an out-of-town camping trip.
"We are catching up on the progress of the fire, seeing it for ourselves," Schreiber said.
Following a dry, warm winter, several major fires are burning across Colorado, from the Aspen Acres Fire, spanning multiple counties in southern Colorado to the Gold Mountain Fire near Ouray.
West of Leadville, the human-caused Willow Fire has scorched rugged terrain near the Leadville National Fish Hatchery and Mount Massive, one of the state's highest peaks.
"There's a bit of grief for the forest itself," said Tanya Miller.
Miller thinks about all of the life trapped in the blaze — the squirrels, the birds and the moss. But she also believes fires are a natural way for forests to stay healthy.
"And there's also like, ‘Ah, thank you for showing us what it is for a forest to regenerate as well,’" Miller said. "And how we come together as a community will remain to be seen, and how we keep supporting each other I think is what this town is about."
The Willow Fire has been burning near Leadville for more than two weeks. On a recent day, the town's main street was busy, but just a few miles to the west, plumes of gray smoke rose from the forested slopes of Mount Massive, which from town still appear green.
Hundreds of firefighters are working on the ground and in the air.
"So there's the firefighters themselves that are out on the line fighting the fire and then all the supporting elements. We have everything from human resources to finance," said Heath Speckman, Lake County sheriff and fire warden.
Speckman said many firefighters are focused on containment by establishing "hold lines."
"Hold lines could be something they've dug with hand tools, or they can use big machines like bulldozers," Speckman said. "They create this line where they're confident the fire won't go over it."
Instead of trying to extinguish the enormous blaze entirely, firefighters are protecting so-called values, such as homes and infrastructure.
"For example, Turquoise Lake is a value because it provides a lot of water to millions of people," Speckman said. "Another value is the community of Leadville. There's an Xcel transmission line that's through the area. That's another value."
Back at Hamm's Mill, the wind picks up. From several miles away, flames suddenly appear through the smoke.
"That is. Wow. There's just no other word for that," Miller said. "Yeah, that's incredible. Incredible to see."
Bright reds and oranges flash across the mountainside.
"So that thing is ripping fire," Schreiber said.
Schreiber's family has been in the area for generations. His father was born in Leadville more than 100 years ago, and he has witnessed many changes over the decades, including more people moving to the area.
"And so change is change is change," Schreiber said. "It's just going to be this whole new mountain. And people will talk about the great fire of 2026."
In the short term, locals are looking forward to some good news: Rain is in the forecast for Leadville over the next few days. No additional evacuations are expected.
