Wildfire Crisis on Western Slope

Multiple wildfires burning across the region, including the Knowles Fire (4 firefighters killed, Nathan Matthews identified, fundraiser ongoing; procession from Denver to Grand Junction on July 31; Senator Hickenlooper calls for federal investigation) and Gold Mountain Fire (59% contained, 39,506 acres, evacuations easing). Other fires: Hotchkiss (30 acres, 40% contained), Two Track (84 acres, active), Elk Fire (pre-evacuation), Hartman Hill (new), Aspen Acres (66% contained). Stage 2 fire restrictions in Delta County and Paonia. Flash flood risks on burn scars persist.