Evacuations ordered for ’24 Fire’ in Fremont County
Sam Page
UPDATE – SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 10:32 A.M.: Per Fort Carson Officials, “As of 8 a.m. Fort Carson Fire crews reported that control lines held well throughout the night. There has been very little increase in acreage burned and containment. As we move through the afternoon, temperatures and winds are expected to increase, which will pose a challenge to crews on the ground. Ground crews will continue working toward securing the perimeter of the fire while also monitoring and putting out hot spots. There have been no reported injuries or damage to structures at this time.”
“We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.”
Original reporting:FREMONT COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — Evacuations have been ordered for the “24 Fire” burning east of HWY 115 on Ft Carson land, which is now approximately 1,067 acres with zero percent containment, according to officials.
According to officials, a 2-mile evacuation order has been issued for areas around County Road F45 and State Highway 115. A 3-mile pre-evacuation notice has also been issued for the surrounding area. Residents, pets, and livestock can evacuate to Pathfinder Park, says officials.
Evacuation Map provided by the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office
The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office is going door to door and asks that if you evacuate before deputies make it to your residence, leave a note on the door with your name and that you evacuated.
For more information on evacuations, call 719-276-7421.
Fort Carson held a press conference on March 20, during which it confirmed that six agencies are working on the fire. Fort Carson says there are 120 first responders working and two C-130s.
Ft. Carson says crews worked overnight to contain the fire along the southwest side, preventing the fire from spreading across the highway into Fremont County. Air support and ground crews resumed additional efforts this morning. Highway 115 is closed with no estimate on reopening between mile markers 22 and 28.
Increasing wind and rising temperatures are expected today, officials say, and smoke will continue to be visible.
The fire broke out on Wednesday, March 18, around 10 a.m. and is believed to be human-caused. Crews initially achieved 50% containment and estimated the size to be 67 acres on Thursday morning.
By Thursday afternoon, smoke plumes were seen from across Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and even Teller County, prompting alerts from several fire departments, and the fire jumped to over 600 acres within a matter of hours.
So far, no injuries or structural damage have been reported.
Several other fires have burned this week, including a 60-acre grass fire in Calhan and a fire in Custer County that prompted evacuations; both have since been contained, and evacuations have been lifted.
This year, Colorado is experiencing its warmest start to a water year in 130 years, combined with one of the driest periods on record, according to officials. Colorado Springs Utilities is even urging residents to conserve water.
KRDO13 will have live updates in our shows and online throughout the day. This is a developing story and may be updated.