Mesa County issues disaster emergency declaration due to ongoing wildfires

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - The government of Mesa County declared a local-level disaster emergency on Tuesday morning as a result of several ongoing wildfires within county borders.

UPDATE: KKCO spoke with Mesa County Commissioner Cody Davis about this Declaration.

“When we get to the point where we don’t have the resources to fight a natural disaster, then we declare a state of emergency,” he said.

Davis said this declaration will bring in more funding to support resources provided by the county, state, and federal government. The declaration went into effect last week, but was ratified on July 22.

“Our county administrator declared the emergency last week, and so we started putting a lot of these resources together even before that,” said Davis. “Sometimes the timeline is a bit out of whack when you have these emergencies. We know we need these resources; we may not have gone to a public hearing for it quite yet, but we know we need these resources. So those things get sent right away.”

Davis said Mesa County has received lots of support and response from the state on the Turner Gulch and Wright Draw fires.

The county said that it issued the declaration in order to open up additional resources and speed up response efforts.

The Turner Gulch Fire in Mesa County was ignited by a lightning strike on July 10 and quickly exploded in size, growing to 16,679 acres as of Tuesday. The nearby and much smaller Wright Draw Fire is still burning at 466 acres.

The Turner Gulch Fire burns near Big Creek Reservoir on the night of July 20, 2025.

According to authorities, the terrain of the area is steep and very rugged, making firefighting difficult. The county believes the burn scars from these fires will pose long-term threats to nearby drainages and waterway. Flooding, debris flow, and other hazards are expected by officials well after the fire is extinguished.

Firefighters search for hotspots on the Turner Gulch Fire on July 20.

“This declaration ensures we can bring every available tool to bear in protecting public safety and supporting our communities,” said Chair of the Board of Mesa County Commissioners Cody Davis. “It’s critical we take proactive steps to prepare for changing conditions and to address the aftermath as both fires are impacting critical drainages that cross private property and flow into waterways throughout Mesa County.”