Colorado authorizes $1.881 million for Green Ridge Fire response
The state funding can cover suppression, mitigation and recovery work, but the order does not identify recipients or show money has been spent. Evacuations and incident-related road closures were lifted by July 17, while the fire’s cause remains preliminary.
Colorado has authorized $1.881 million for response, mitigation and recovery work related to the Green Ridge Fire in Routt County, according to a Aug. 6 executive order from Gov. Jared Polis.
The order formalizes Polis’ July 12 disaster declaration and transfers the money from the State Emergency Reserve Cash Fund to the Disaster Emergency Fund, which the order says did not have enough money for the fire-related work. The funding may support fire suppression, consequence management, mitigation and recovery. The Office of Emergency Management may distribute it to government agencies and nonprofits, and state agencies are directed to seek available federal funding.
The authorization does not itemize the spending, identify recipients or show that any money has been spent. The funds remain available for 72 months from Aug. 6, 2026, with unexpended money staying in the Disaster Emergency Fund.
The fire began July 12 east of Oak Creek and threatened 480 structures within three miles of the fire, the order says. Twenty homes were placed under mandatory evacuation. By July 17, the fire had burned 41 acres and was 100% contained.
A Denver7 report on the Green Ridge Fire said pre-evacuation notices had been lifted and affected roads reopened July 17. A July 18 update said all evacuations and pre-evacuations remained lifted while crews monitored and secured the fire line. As of Aug. 7, Routt County’s Active Emergencies page listed a Forest Area Closure for the separate Fishhook Fire but no Green Ridge evacuation, road-closure or area-closure notice.
The cause investigation remains unresolved in the public record reviewed for this story. The executive order identifies tractor hay-baling as the Routt County Sheriff’s preliminary cause, not a final finding, and no later public final determination was identified. The emergency declaration is scheduled to expire Aug. 11 unless extended; the funding authority lasts 72 months.