Governor Newsom announces deployment of California firefighters and equipment to Colorado, as sister state battles wildfires

What you need to know: California is deploying 15 fire engines and 53 personnel to help Colorado fight the over 85,000-acre Aspen Acres Fire, marking the first-ever CAL FIRE deployment to Colorado under a national mutual aid partnership.

SACRAMENTO - Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that California is deploying firefighting equipment and personnel - including 15 CAL FIRE engines and crews, one Agency Representative, and one mechanic, totaling 53 personnel - to support firefighting efforts on the Aspen Acres Fire burning in Custer and Pueblo Counties, Colorado. The wildfire has burned over 85,000 acres and remains at 0% containment as of July 4, 2026.

Colorado is facing critically dry fuel conditions driven by an ongoing drought and recent periods of hot, dry weather. These conditions have resulted in extreme fire behavior, prompting requests for additional out-of-state support.

As Californians prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July with family and friends, our firefighters are bravely heading to help our neighbors in Colorado. That's the American spirit and who we are. When a sister state needs our help, California shows up.

Governor Gavin Newsom

This marks the first time CAL FIRE has deployed firefighting resources to Colorado under the National Association of State Foresters (NASF) state-to-state partnership. CAL FIRE equipment and personnel will depart California on July 4, 2026, and are expected to remain in Colorado for up to 14 days.

Colorado has supported California during several major incidents in recent years, including the 2024 Park Fire in Northern California and the 2025 Eaton and Palisades Fires in Southern California.

"Wildfire is not just a challenge for California - it's a shared reality across the West," said CAL FIRE Director and Fire Chief Joe Tyler. The opportunity to support Colorado the way they have supported California is both important and necessary, because when one state is impacted, we all stand together."

The deployment will not impact capacity in California as CAL FIRE will maintain full staffing levels and deploy reserve fire engines to protect Californians during the busy Fourth of July Holiday alongside local, state, federal, and tribal partners.

California's mutual aid leadership

California has a long history of answering the call when communities face their greatest challenges. Through its nationally recognized mutual aid system, California has deployed highly trained, expert personnel and specialized resources to disasters across the country and around the world.

California teams have responded to disasters in Florida, Washington, Alaska, Texas, New Mexico, Oregon, Montana, Wisconsin, Hawaii, Jamaica, Arizona, and Puerto Rico. Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, and Hurricane Ian are among other events California has supported.