Bishop Castle near Rye, Colorado, remained standing after the Aspen Acres wildfire approached the property in early July [1].

The survival of the landmark is a significant relief for the Bishop family and the local community, as the structure sat within the active wildfire perimeter during the peak of the blaze.

Daniel Bishop, the caretaker of the castle, and his family faced the threat of the fire on July 3, 2026 [2]. Reports on the exact proximity of the flames vary; one source said the fire came within 200 yards of the castle [3], while others indicated it reached within 300 feet [4].

The Aspen Acres wildfire grew to a size of 91,523 acres [5]. At one point, containment for the fire was reported at 12 percent [6]. The scale of the disaster led to evacuation orders for the towns of Beulah, Wetmore, and Rye [7].

Bishop and his family returned to the property on Wednesday, July 3 or 4, 2026, after the immediate threat had shifted [8]. The caretaker said the preservation of the castle was due to a combination of rapid response and faith [9].

Despite the proximity of the flames, the structure did not catch fire. The event highlights the volatility of the region's wildfire season and the precarious position of unique architectural landmarks located in high-risk zones.

“Bishop Castle remained standing after the Aspen Acres wildfire approached the property”

The survival of Bishop Castle underscores the unpredictable nature of wildfire behavior in the U.S. West, where narrow margins of a few hundred feet can determine whether a landmark is preserved or destroyed. As containment levels remained low during the peak of the Aspen Acres fire, the event serves as a case study in the risks facing private architectural sites located within volatile forest boundaries.