Colorado rancher confronts $40,000 hay bill after Aspen Acres wildfire scorches grazing land

As the Aspen Acres Fire advanced through southern Colorado, it burned 101,965 acres and was reported as 72% contained, destroying more than 850 structures. Mike Cox, who has raised cattle on his Cox Ranch between Beulah and Colorado City for 15 years, saw the fire engulf roughly 250 acres of his grazing land. He successfully relocated 17 calves to a neighbor’s property before the flames reached his home, which remained standing.

The loss of pasture means he must now purchase hay throughout the winter, a cost he estimates at around $40,000 due to drought-driven price spikes. Cox’s granddaughter created a GoFundMe page to help cover the expenses, and he warned that he may need to sell some cattle if feed costs remain prohibitive. Recovery of the burned land could take more than a year, depending on moisture conditions.