DENVER — Gov. Jared Polis is asking President Donald Trump to approve a major disaster declaration after two of Colorado's most destructive wildfires burned hundreds of thousands of acres, destroyed hundreds of homes and triggered deadly flooding.
Polis formally requested a major disaster declaration from President Donald Trump and FEMA on Sunday to support recovery from the Aspen Acres and Gold Mountain Fires, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
The request seeks federal assistance for Pueblo, Custer and Ouray counties after the two fires burned more than 140,000 acres, destroyed 324 homes, damaged critical infrastructure and forced the evacuation of about 11,600 residents.
"Colorado has committed significant resources to this response, but the scale of this disaster requires a strong partnership among federal, state, and local governments for a successful recovery," Polis said in a statement.
The Aspen Acres Fire alone became Colorado's seventh-largest wildfire and the most destructive in terms of homes lost since the Marshall Fire.
But the damage did not end when the flames were extinguished.
State officials said heavy rainfall over the burn scars in late July and August triggered repeated flooding and debris flows, including the deadly Aug. 16 flood on the Aspen Acres burn scar that killed one person.
Officials said a man standing near Highway 78 and Central Avenue died after being swept away by fast-moving floodwaters near the burn scar in Pueblo County following heavy rainfall.
Flooding has damaged roads, closed highways and disrupted access to communities in southern and western Colorado.
To address those losses, the state is seeking multiple forms of federal assistance.
The governor’s request seeks three forms of FEMA support:
- Individual Assistance (IA) for Pueblo and Custer Counties: IA would provide direct support to eligible primary households for needs such as temporary housing, home repairs, and essential personal property. The request also includes crisis counseling, disaster care management, disaster unemployment assistance, and disaster legal services.
- Public Assistance (PA) for Pueblo, Custer, and Ouray Counties: PA would help state and local governments, public utilities, and certain nonprofit organizations cover eligible costs for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and repairs to roads, water systems, electric grids, and other critical public infrastructure. The request also seeks support for private-property debris removal in Pueblo and Custer Counties.
- FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Funding: This funding [fema.gov] is designed to support long-term solutions that reduce the impact of future disasters in an impacted community.
The request now awaits a decision from the White House.
President Trump has denied Colorado’s request for disaster relief funding in the past.
The state’s funding request was rejected following the Elk and Lee fires and Western Slope flooding last year.
Colorado officials argued last year's denial left local governments without access to federal recovery programs typically available after major disasters.
The White House defended its approach to disaster assistance requests Sunday.
In a statement, Lauren Bis, a White House spokeswoman, said that President Trump closely reviews disaster aid requests to ensure federal funds supplement state and local disaster response efforts rather than replace them.
"The Trump Administration has granted Federal assistance under the Stafford Act for the State of Colorado. This assistance includes three Fire Management Assistance Grants for the Aspen Acres, Gold Mountain, and Willow fires. While damage assessments continue for the Aspen Acres fire, President Trump conducts a more thorough review of disaster declaration requests than any Administration has before him. The President responds to each request for Federal assistance under the Stafford Act with great care and consideration, ensuring American tax dollars are used appropriately and efficiently by the states to supplement—not substitute — their obligation to respond to and recover from disasters. The Trump administration remains committed to empowering and working with State and local governments to invest in their own resilience before disaster strikes, making response less urgent and recovery less prolonged," Bis said in a statement.
Among those urging approval is Custer County Sheriff Rich Smith.
In a separate letter to Trump, Smith estimated losses from the Aspen Acres Fire could exceed $500 million and urged the president to approve the request.
Smith wrote that many affected residents are retirees and veterans living on fixed incomes who may not have the resources to rebuild without federal assistance.
The sheriff estimated total losses across Custer and Pueblo counties could exceed $500 million, far surpassing the assistance available through FEMA's Fire Management Assistance Grant program.
Bryan Englert is among those still coping with the aftermath.
Englert owns the Aspen Acres Campground. He told Denver7 the Aspen Acres Fire damaged the campground, and the mudslides that followed caused additional destruction across the property.
"Every day working there, and working back on this property now, trying to control the mudslides that are coming down. We're shut down for business. We can't open. The mudslides are just horrendous, horrendous," Englert said.
Englert estimates it will cost about $100,000 to complete flood mitigation work and prevent future damage. He also estimates the fire caused roughly $500,000 in damage and significant revenue losses while the campground remains closed.
Colorado's congressional delegation, including Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper and Reps. Jeff Hurd and Brittany Pettersen, voiced support for the 2026 request.
"Coloradans rightfully expect the federal government to support their communities when disaster strikes. The Trump administration must swiftly approve these requests and help Colorado recover," Hickenlooper said in a statement.
State and federal teams have identified approximately $17.2 million in eligible public assistance damages linked to the Aspen Acres Fire and $1.4 million tied to the Gold Mountain Fire.
Polis requested that the federal incident period begin on June 27, 2026, and end on July 29, 2026, following the flooding and debris flows that continue to affect both burn scars.
