This is a developing story and will be updated.
Light rain helped fire crews make progress fighting a small, fast-moving wildfire burning near Divide in Teller County, but hundreds of homes remain evacuated Tuesday as gusty winds threaten to fuel the fire’s growth.
- The Highland Lakes fire is covering about a quarter of a square mile and is 15 percent contained, according to the Teller County Sheriff’s Office
- No injuries have been reported
- The fire started as a house fire in the Highland Lakes subdivision. That home was destroyed, but no other homes have been lost, the sheriff’s office said
- Smoke is not expected to travel far from the fire, according to state health authorities
The Highland Lakes fire started Monday and spread quickly through tall, dry grass and timber and grew overnight, said Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell. Between media briefings at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., the reported size of the fire nearly doubled, though authorities said much of that was due to controlled burns from teams attempting to stop the fire from reaching roadways and homes.
Investigators are considering the possibility the fire was the result of a “criminal act,” but Mikesell declined to give additional details on Tuesday.
“I want everybody to know this is the most aggressive I've seen during this time of the year,” he said at a briefing Tuesday afternoon.
Mikesel said teams expect to fire “aggressively” today with additional resources from the state, including air tankers. Authorities are keeping a close eye on the weather and wind, which is expected to gust up to 60 mph in the area and has created high-risk wildfire conditions.
Evacuations
More than 700 homes, — totaling more than $300 million in property value, according to the sheriff’s office — were evacuated Monday. Some residents have been escorted to return to their homes to grab essential medications, but evacuation orders are still in place for:
- The Highland Lakes Subdivision, Aspen Village Road, Broken Wheel, Waywind Road and Snowhill Road
On Tuesday, the Teller County Sheriff’s office warned residents in 650 other homes in the following areas to be ready to evacuate if the fire spreads or conditions worsen:
- Aspen Moor Subdivision, Spring Valley Subdivision, Grandview Subdivision, Copper Lake Drive, Buck Lake Drive, County Road 5 south of County Road 51 on the west side, County Road 51 on both sides from County Road 5 to County Road 512, and County Road 5 north of County Road 51 on both sides of Forest Service Road 357
Residents with animals can evacuate their pets to the Teller County Regional Animal Shelter, 308 Weaverville Rd. in Divide. Livestock can be taken to the fairgrounds in Cripple Creek.
Firefighting effort
Multiple regional agencies have been dispatched to fight the fire, including the Colorado Springs Fire Department, the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office and wildland crews with the U.S. Forest Service.
- Teller County officials said more than 150 firefighters are currently working the blaze
- Air tankers are dropping water on the fire and helicopter crews are responding when the windy conditions allow
- Mikesell said the fire’s potential to rapidly spread led to a much larger, faster response than usual. He said that’s due to evolving tactics meant to adapt to modern western wildfires
“We are seeing a pickup of pace because we have drier seasons,” Mikesell said. “There is some change in, really, the environment and how we look at fires, too.”
The waiting game
Evacuees are left with no timetable for returning home, as weather conditions have made the fire and response unpredictable.
Sheila Ryan was leaving the evacuation center at the Woodland Park Community Church after sleeping in her car overnight. She’s lived in the area for more than 50 years and was last evacuated during the 2002 Hayman fire.
“It destroyed a lot of homes,” she said of Hayman. “So, I’m just hoping nobody else gets ruined by (this fire.) A lot of us up here, we live from check to check.”
Red Cross workers at the church said they’d only seen about 15 evacuees stop by Thursday morning, which is common since many residents fleeing disasters stay with family and friends.
Ryan said she only had time to grab her pets when she was evacuated from the Highland Lakes Subdivision. She was leaving the church to shop for makeup.
“I start a new job tomorrow,” she said.
