New mandatory evacuations were ordered in the Lee fire late Friday night and early Saturday morning as the blaze grew nearly 30,000 acres on Colorado’s Western Slope near Meeker.

The Lee Fire burning in Western Colorado has begun racing south after winds shifted away from the town of Meeker on Friday, prompting officials to declare new evacuation zones.

A Colorado prison was evacuated as one of the largest wildfires in state history continued to grow, with officials warning residents of remote areas to be ready to leave as gusty winds and