A fast-moving wildfire is burning toward the ADX Supermax in Florence, Colorado, the ultra-secure federal prison that houses El Chapo and some of America's most dangerous inmates. Fire crews are racing to contain the Aspen Acres Fire as it advances toward Florence, a blaze fueled by extreme drought and high winds that has scorched more than 96,000 acres and destroyed at least 279 homes since June 29. The fire was only 15% contained as of late Thursday morning.
More than 11,000 people have been evacuated in four counties as the fire spreads north and northwest toward Florence, home to 2,700 male prisoners across four federal prisons. The complex, which includes the ADX, is located in Fremont County, an area with a high concentration of correctional facilities known as 'Prison Valley.' The fire has crept within approximately six miles of the supermax facility.
The Bureau of Prisons has stated that federal officials are "actively monitoring" the situation and that the complex "remains safe from any threats of wildfire activity." Inmates have been ordered to "shelter in place," a measure that has drawn skepticism from former inmates who note that many prisoners at ADX have not left their cells for decades. "Everybody knows there's no evacuations from there. The only evacuations most people get from that place is on a stretcher," said Jack Powers, a former ADX inmate.
Experts are less concerned about the prison itself catching fire, given its concrete and steel construction, but rather about the potential for smoke inhalation through ventilation systems. "Smoke absolutely could move through the facility aggressively, and it's hard to stop," said Bianca Tylek, executive director of Worth Rises, an organization that advocates for prisoners' rights.
The ADX Supermax, often called the 'Alcatraz of the Rockies,' is the only federal super-maximum detention facility in the United States. It houses some of the nation's most notorious criminals, including Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, who is serving a life sentence plus 30 years. Guzmán is known for two high-profile prison escapes in Mexico. Other high-profile inmates include Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Al-Qaeda terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui.
An evacuation of the ADX has never occurred in its history. Prison officials have not detailed contingency plans for relocating the facility's 325 inmates, many of whom are considered extremely violent. El Chapo's lawyer, David Lane, described a potential evacuation as "virtually impossible, even nightmarish," citing the logistical challenges of moving inmates under heavy escort to other facilities.
The Aspen Acres Fire has threatened numerous homes, with at least 279 destroyed. Residents south of Florence began evacuating earlier in the week as the fire advanced. The fire's rapid spread has been attributed to dry conditions and wind gusts reaching up to 100 miles per hour.