Rio Blanco County officials lifted some mandatory evacuation and pre-evacuation orders Friday afternoon for the Elk and Lee fires burning near the Western Slope town of Meeker.

RIO BLANCO COUNTY, Colo. — The Rio Blanco County Sheriff's Office has issued a mandatory evacuation due to the Lee Fire. Zone 63 on the south side of the fire is now under a "GO" status, meaning residents should evacuate immediately. As of Wednesday afternoon, areas south and west of Meeker are also under evacuation orders due to the Lee Fire.

The Elk and Lee fires burning in Rio Blanco County have scorched more than 120,000 combined acres, with the larger Lee Fire prompting Garfield County’s first mandatory evacuation order and the relocation of all