By admin 
The Trump administration is sending aid to communities impacted by two major fires in Colorado, Aspen Acres near Pueblo and Gold Mountain near Ouray.
Read more Climber dies in Maroon Bells wilderness, recovery planned for Tuesday
The two fires raged for weeks this summer, then storms passing over the burn scars caused flash flooding that dealt another blow to those trying to recover. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis sent a request for federal aid in late August, saying the damage to homes and public infrastructure, including electricity and water systems, was beyond the state’s ability to handle alone. Colorado’s entire Congressional delegation, Republicans and Democrats alike, .
President Donald Trump, who has the final say in disaster requests, approved aid for public infrastructure. Federal assistance for individuals impacted by the fire is still under review.
“Coloradans hit by the Aspen Acres and Gold Mountain Fires have shown incredible strength, but recovering from big disasters requires federal help,” Polis said in a statement Friday.
Relief over the decision to assist Colorado stems from concerns over the Trump administration declining requests for federal disaster declaration last summer, when the Lee and Elk fires and subsequent flooding ravaged southwestern Colorado. That refusal came amid escalating tensions over Trump’s urging Colorado to release former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters from prison.
Peters’ sentence, handed down after her conviction on four felonies and three misdemeanors related to her role in breaching election equipment in 2021, was commuted by Gov. Jared Polis in May.
Trump’s approval opens access to the public assistance program under the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Governments, utilities and some nonprofits will be able to use the aid to cover costs tied to work like debris removal and repairs for roads, water systems and electricity grids.
The Aspen Acres and Gold Mountain fires caused over $18 million in damage to public infrastructure.
The Aspen Acres fire started June 29 in Custer County and quickly spread, burning more than 102,000 acres and becoming the seventh-largest wildfire in Colorado history. At the peak of the wildfire, about 11,600 residents in Pueblo, Custer and Fremont counties were under mandatory evacuation.
Read more Amy Redford says Sundance connects Colorado filmmakers in an isolated industry
The San Isabel Electric Association experienced millions of dollars in damage. Starting in July, rainfall caused ink-black floodwaters filled with ash to surge down the Aspen Acres burn scar and through communities like Beulah. On Aug. 16, the flooding killed one resident in the small community.
The floods have also repeatedly closed Colorado 78 and have made it even harder for water utilities to restore services. One water utility in Beulah, a small community burned over by the Aspen Acres fire, sent a plea for help to the Trump administration in late August.
The state and federal officials tallied $17.2 million in damage to public works from the Aspen Acres fire that would qualify for federal aid, according to the Colorado Governor’s Office.
The Gold Mountain fire, which began June 27 near Ouray, has isolated small mountain communities tucked into steep mountain terrain during their peak summer tourism seasons. One helicopter pilot died while responding to the fire, which has burned just over 39,500 acres and has led to debris flows and flooding.
Debris flows have repeatedly closed portions of U.S. 550, a vital roadway connecting Ouray, Ridgway and Silverton. State and federal officials found about $1.4 million in damages to public infrastructure from the Gold Mountain fire.
“Removing debris from homes and buildings destroyed is the most important step to begin rebuilding and now that work can occur promptly and at no cost to homeowners just as it did after the Marshall Fire,” Polis said.
The Aspen Acres fire also destroyed 324 homes, making it the most destructive wildfire in terms of homes lost since the 2021 Marshall fire.
State and federal officials determined that 270 of those homes met the requirements to qualify for federal aid, but that portion of the state’s request has not yet been granted, according to the news release Friday.
This is a developing story that may be updated.