Category: krdo-local-news

Scott Harrison

CAÑON CITY, Colo. (KRDO) — Disasters like the “Aspen Acres” fire are nothing new to Gulf Coast natives Marcus and Kelli Summerford.

“We evacuated because of Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005,” Marcus said. “We came to Colorado during COVID, and we love it.”

→ KRDO13’s full coverage on the Aspen Acres wildfire here

Marcus, who worked under some of the best chefs in New Orleans, decided to open a Cajun restaurant two years ago, and Homer’s Gumbo Pot is in business on Elm Avenue.

Marcus and Kelli’s experience as evacuees motivated them to provide free meals to fire evacuees and firefighters.

“I’ve been down to a backpack of clothes twice in my life, because of disasters,” he said.

20 to 30 evacuees have visited the restaurant per day so far to enjoy those meals.

“Going through [Hurricane] Katrina, one thing that really stuck with me after the storm was that even when we were back in our houses, there was no hot food,” he recalled. “There was no cold food. Everything was just room temperature and mediocre. And every time there’s a disaster, I do what all Southerners do — try to feed their neighbors something decent and hearty.”

To reach more evacuees, the Summerfords teamed up with the owner of a food truck called The Buffalo Stop, who distributes the meals at evacuation shelters and other locations of need.

“We heard people needed food, we heard people weren’t getting as much food as they needed, there were still hungry bellies at the end of the day,” said owner P.K. Graves. “Instead of jumping through all of the hoops, we just decided, let’s just take our own kitchen down there.”

Graves and the Summerfords are planning to organize a fund-raising event at the end of this month to benefit evacuees.

For the free meals, they said that they’re paying for them out of pocket, or with donations.

Click here to follow the original article.

Scott Harrison

PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) —   On Day 11 of the Aspen Acres Fire, the Beulah area on the east side of the burn presents an interesting contrast.

It’s where most of the containment — which fell from 15% to 14 % overnight — is, but also where dozens of homes have been lost.

→ Follow KRDO’s full coverage of the “Aspen Acres” wildfire here 

The fire’s eastern border remains one of the most active fire areas, with Beulah and Siloam Road mentioned regularly in daily fire updates.

It’s where some of the now more than 1,800 personnel responding to the fire have been working.

On Wednesday night, authorities said that the burn zone received something it hasn’t had since the fire began — significant rainfall from storms.

Enough rain, in fact, that some areas had flash flood warnings.

No problems reported, but as many of us know, flash flooding on bare, fire-burned ground can be an issue.

The fire’s 15% overall containment has held steady for a few days now.

Firefighters are still doing a lot of structure protection, using bulldozers to dig containment lines.

Beulah is no stranger to wildfires; the 2016 Beulah Hill Fire destroyed eight homes and 16 outbuildings and is believed to have started from sparks produced by a road excavator.

Authorities determined that lightning caused the 2005 Mason Gulch Fire, but no homes were lost because of previous extensive fire mitigation in the area.

Authorities also report that a new fire, south of the Aspen Acres burn zone, in Huerfano County, started yesterday morning but is now fully contained.

It was called the Pole Canyon Fire and was approximately two acres in size.

Authorities made water to help contain the fire.

   

Click here to follow the original article.

Alexander Brunet

Editor’s note: Colorado Parks and Wildlife recently announced that the fire had been extinguished. Colorado Springs and the Fire Department have since clarified that the fire is not out, but is 30% contained.

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) has lifted a pre-evacuation warning as of 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 8. The order included a one-and-a-half-mile radius of Rock Creek Canyon Road due to a fire one-third of a mile north of 1350 Rock Creek Canyon Road.

Officials confirm that the fire was 80% contained as of 1:20 p.m. on July 10. According to EPSO, crews will remain on scene to prevent reignition throughout the contained area.

The EPSO and the Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) say that, despite requests against doing so, someone flew a drone over the fire site as of 10:50 a.m. Wednesday morning. Officials asked whoever was flying the drone to land it immediately, as it hindered air operations.

The EPSO told everyone in the area to be prepared to leave and to evacuate if they felt they were in danger.

EPSO estimates the fire is approximately 1.5 acres as of 10 a.m. July 8.

A KRDO 13 crew was at the intersection of Pawnee and Comanche Avenues, where flames and smoke could occasionally be seen on a ridge overlooking a mobile home park and approximately 25 homes near the Pike National Forest.

Authorities with the U.S. Forest Service and Southwestern Highway 115 Fire spent the night monitoring the fire’s activity.

“It’s (was) just too dark for anyone to fly back there, or get a crew back there,” said Clark Gaddie, a spokesman for SW Hwy 115 Fire. “I (was) sitting here all night, watching it to make sure it (didn’t) go anywhere. In the morning, we (got) some crews out here, and some helicopters. The terrain is steep and rugged back there. We’re worried about how the wind may affect the fire.”

He said that lightning likely sparked the fire, though authorities had yet to announce the official cause by noon Wednesday.

“I saw the lightning strike in that exact area,” said neighbor Brody Nimmons.” We were watching it. That was the scary part — it shook the whole house.”

In the meadow at Pawnee & Comanche, fire crews set up their staging area and used part of it as a place for helicopters to take off and land.

The first helicopter began mapping the fire around 9 a.m and two helicopters performed drops with water from nearby reservoirs before stopping around 12:30 p.m.

Neighbors were in good spirits, given the situation — with many pulling out lawn chairs to sit and watch the activity.

There was more anxiety overnight, however, as the fire slowly burned above them.

“We had meetings at 2:30 this morning,” said Judy Schewitzer. “This neighbor, that neighbor, that neighbor. What were we talking about? The fire and what we needed to do.”

Her next-door neighbor echoed that sentiment.

With the fires in the past, and this, kind of concerned,” said Cara Vandiver. “I have service dogs, so their stuff is in the freezer, waiting for the last minute to pack the food up.”

Authorities thanked their partners for being able to provide resources for the fire despite the much larger Aspen Acres Fire burning in Pueblo and Custer Counties for the second week.

Click here to follow the original article.

Rob Namnoum

“Tarps off shirts off. Yeah, I love it,” says Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer. Yeah in the upper deck of Coors Field it’s tarps off, shirts off, “It’s funny because when I’m in the outfield, I can see it starting, like in the fifth inning. You see like four or five kids with their shirts off,” says Rockies outfielder Jake McCarthy. As the game goes on the section of shirtless fans swells, “There’s been a few times where it’s like, maybe the, the upper deck is a little more empty. So I could literally see people migrating over to like, what is it that there’s a right center to the right to a corner? So it’s funny and it’s been funny to see it like, I think it’s good for the sport, the fans are into it.” says McCarthy.

Fans are into it. The first time the shirts came off was during the Rockies sixth home game of the season in April, “The first time I saw it was a home game was against the Astros. The day game. It’s pretty cool, I think. I think we’re doing pretty well here,” says McCarthy The kids do it well and the Rockies say well done, “Anything to help us win. I love that we have fans that are enthusiastic and want to do that I love it,” says Schaeffer.

Jake McCarthy says he would need a little liquid courage to part of the tarps off shirts off movement. “Probably need a few drinks, but, yeah, I think it looks, like fun.” The Rockies skipper adds, “Come out. Take your shirt off.”

Click here to follow the original article.

Scott Harrison

PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — A weeklong ordeal has ended for dozens of people forced to evacuate during the “Aspen Acres” fire, now in its ninth day.

Evacuees in parts of Colorado City, along Highway 165 and east of Interstate 25, began returning home Monday night and Tuesday morning.

→ Check KRDO’s full coverage of the “Aspen Acres” wildfire here 

A checkpoint manned by the Colorado National Guard and Pueblo County deputies at the intersection of Highway 165 and Cologne Way verified whether incoming drivers had proof of residency before being allowed in.

Among those turned around was a driver who refused to give his name and said that he lives in nearby Rye, which remains under a mandatory evacuation.

“Still not on their list,” he said. “I hope they update it because where I live, most of us immediately to the west are out of fire danger.”

A block west of the checkpoint is Applewood Drive, where neighbors evacuated for the second time in two weeks after a previous fire damaged or destroyed 11 homes there.

“We evacuated last Tuesday night and came back yesterday afternoon,” said David Hill, who lives in Applewood Estates. “We stayed in motels and Airbnbs. Me, my wife, and my mother-in-law.”

Another resident, Kameron Jordan, is thankful to still have the home he’s lived in for 17 years.

“I have a family of four,” he said. “My mom, dad, and sister. We stayed in our van at the Circle K. I’m glad that I had my family. We freaked out. We thought we were going to lose our home.”

As we celebrate the evacuees who are coming home, our thoughts and prayers continue for evacuees who still can’t return, or even have homes destroyed in the fire.

Click here to follow the original article.

Bradley Davis

GREEN MOUNTAIN FALLS, Colo. (KRDO) – Every summer, Green Mountain Falls attracts some of the top installation artists from around the world for the annual Green Box Arts Festival.

It’s perhaps the best-kept “secret” along Highway 24. The town of less than 700 people boasts an incredible art-to-person ratio, with 11 permanent public installations and hundreds more erected throughout the festival’s 18-year history.

Through Green Box, Green Mountain Falls is home to world-renowned art like James Turrell’s Skyspace, Richard Serra’s Schulhof’s Curve, Brian Wall’s Skye and more. You can find a list of all Green Box’s current and past exhibits on their website.

The festival ends on July 19. Until then, Green Box hosts a packed calendar of events in Green Mountain Falls from guided art walks to professional ballet performances to outdoor Zumba and more. You can find the full calendar on their website.

Click here to follow the original article.

Scott Harrison

FREMONT COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — In addition to restricted access through the Highway 67 checkpoint south of Florence for the ongoing Aspen Acres wildfire, drivers also must adjust to occasional changes in the checkpoint’s location.

When authorities placed the ten-mile stretch between Florence and Highway 69 in Custer County on pre-evacuation status last Thursday, the checkpoint was located at the Highway 67/County Road 15 intersection — but it was removed later that morning in favor of the larger checkpoint at the Highway 67/Highway 69 intersection.

→ Follow KRDO’s continuous coverage of the “Aspen Acres” wildfire here

However, when southern Fremont County switched to a mandatory evacuation on Sunday night, the checkpoint was established closer to Florence, at the Highway 67/County Road 100 intersection.

County Road 100 was the northern boundary of the evacuation zone, and drivers were allowed to turn there and proceed west.

Just before noon on Monday, the checkpoint moved south to the Highway 67/County Road 15 intersection.

And on Tuesday morning, a KRDO crew arrived to find that the checkpoint had moved back to the Highway 67/County Road 100 intersection — and the National Guard said that County Road 100 is now closed.

Colorado National Guard personnel manning the checkpoint said that they are not told why certain roads are closed; they are only responsible for managing checkpoints requested by local authorities.

The current checkpoint location may make it more difficult for drivers of large vehicles to turn around.

Traffic was fairly steady at the checkpoint on Monday as the National Guard tried to determine who had clearance to enter the evacuation zone; many drivers were evacuees hoping to check on livestock or other property concerns because they didn’t have time to do so when the mandatory evacuation began.

Click here to follow the original article.

Michael Logerwell

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – Tonight, the public got to hear firsthand from the fire management team working the “Aspen Acres” fire.

→ Stay informed on the “Aspen Acres” wildfire here with links to live evacuation maps and the latest coverage from KRDO

The meeting started at 7:00 p.m. at Centennial High School in Pueblo and was held by the Alaska Complex Incident Management Team.

You can find a recording of the meeting here.

While the meeting was informative, it didn’t do anything to calm the frayed nerves of those forced to evacuate by the “Aspen Acres” fire.

“I never dreamed in a million years I’d see a fire of this magnitude so close to Rye, endangering so many properties and homes,” Duane Fink, a long-time Rye resident said.

Speaking at the meeting was a meteorologist, fire fuel expert and strategist, all part of the Alaskan management team. Plus the Pueblo County Sheriff, members of the U.S. Forest Service and a spokesperson for the local energy cooperative.

Several residents who spoke to KRDO13 said they were upset with some of the news that was shared at the meeting. A major point that was hammered home was how big and dangerous the “Aspen Acres” fire truly is.

“It’s not going to be the same there. You know, especially if my properties burn, it won’t ever be the same. You know,” Fink paused, “One place was my brother’s. The other was my dad’s. So, yeah, it’s a legacy, is what it is. It ain’t just land.”

Click here to follow the original article.

Bradley Davis

FREMONT COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – Unlike its neighbors, Williamsburg was not under pre-evacuation orders Sunday night.

→ Full coverage on the Aspen Acres wildfire, including links to the latest evacuation maps

“It was scary. I was sitting on the recliner just eating ice cream, playing with the dog, and all the sudden, his phone is ringing, telling us to evacuate immediately. And we’re just kind of like, ‘Are you sure?'” Williamsburg resident Pamela Fleener said.

Fleener and her partner, Alex Aguirre, received the call just after 8 p.m. Sunday night that they were to evacuate immediately.

“We listened to it multiple times to make sure,” Aguirre said.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office ordered its first mandatory evacuations on Sunday in response to the “Aspen Acres” fire after the flames made a strong push north. The “Aspen Acres” fire Incident Command said strong winds from a passing thunderstorm stoked the fire in Fremont County’s direction.

“No, yeah, we weren’t ready,” Fleener said.

Fleener and Aguirre joined their evacuated neighbors from Coal Creek, Rockvale and the surrounding communities at the Red Cross Wildfire Shelter at Pathfinder Park in Florence.

“It’s been hectic. We slept in the truck. It was hot and cramped, but we’re safe,” Fleener said.

Fleener and Aguirre said they had to leave a lot behind in their haste, but they made it out with what mattered most.

“A puppy and three kittens,” Aguirre said.

“That’s a handful!” KRDO13’s Bradley Davis said.

“Ohhh yeah,” Aguirre said, while chuckling.

The “Aspen Acres” fire grew to over 91,000 acres Sunday night. It’s the seventh-largest wildfire in Colorado’s history. The acreage growth dropped the containment from 14% to 12%.

Click here to follow the original article.

Scott Harrison

FREMONT COUNTY, Colo, (KRDO) — Despite fire crews increasing containment from zero to 14% in the “Aspen Acres” fire over the weekend, the intensity of flames on the north side of the burn zone raised the risk to residents north of the Custer/Fremont County line.

→ Find the latest information from KRDO on the Aspen Acres wildfire here

As a result, authorities elevated the status from pre-evacuation to mandatory evacuation late Sunday along ten miles of Highway 67 from just south of Florence in Fremont County to the junction of Highway 96, near Wetmore in Custer County.

Flames were visible in the distance before dawn Monday from the newest checkpoint on Highway 67 at the County Road 100 intersection.

Just before noon, National Guard personnel moved the checkpoint farther south to the County Road 15 intersection — where the previous checkpoint had been when the area had been on pre-evacuation status last Thursday.

“We got the mandatory evacuation order around 8 Sunday night,” said evacuee Dave Smith. “It was a bit surprising, but we were prepared for it. It’s a mess, but it happens.”

Many evacuees evacuated so suddenly that they didn’t have time to transport or tend to livestock, and when they tried to return on Monday morning, they weren’t allowed in unless they had prior approval.

Smith was unable to return because he lives within the evacuation zone, but a neighbor, Bill Enoch, was allowed to come back because he lives on the zone’s northern border along County Road 100.

“I know a lot of people,” he explained. “But I’m not too concerned on how it’s going. If I get in, I get in. If I don’t, I don’t.”

A local couple returned from a weeklong trip out of town to learn of the evacuation; they had to wait at least 30 minutes to get a state trooper to escort them to their property.

Other evacuees tried to be more patient and understanding.

“I’m not frustrated,” said Dave Falske. “I know everybody’s doing the best they can –the military, the police, me — just trying to hang on. But we do have stock up there, and I need to get them fed one way or the other.”

A factor in the change to a mandatory evacuation was an increase in the fire’s intensity Sunday, when strong winds from a passing thunderstorm pushed flames dangerously close to Wetmore.

Authorities used bulldozers to create fire breaks to protect homes and other structures before winds died down.

It’s the second time since Thursday that crews scrambled to keep the fire out of Wetmore.

More resources also were needed on the east side of the fire, near Siloam Road, north of Highway 78; in the Beulah area, which has been constantly threatened; and southwest of Colorado City and Rye, into Huerfano County.

Some of the latter areas are in either pre-evacuation or mandatory evacuation status.

Around 1,100 firefighters from across the county are fighting the “Aspen Acres” fire.

Click here to follow the original article.