Fire reported near Bishop Castle; pre-evacuation order issue for Willis Creek fire
Authorities told people in the Lake Isabel area to prepare to evacuate evacuate Tuesday afternoon as firefighters battled the new Willis Creek fire, in the mountains southwest of Pueblo.
The 16-acre fire is five miles south of Bishop Castle and 1.5 miles northeast of Lake Isabel. It is 25% contained as of 8:35 p.m. Tuesday, said Alex Anderson, a spokesman for the Custer County Office of Emergency Management.
While preparations were underway, no formal evacuation orders had been issued.
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Bishop Castle – Bishop Castle was built, stone-by-stone, by eccentric ironsmith Jim Bishop. Some of the stairways and parapets may be a bit too much for the height-challenged, but much of the castle is accessible to the novice and stands as a testament to one man’s vision and determination. Also there: Hiking, camping and fishing in the San Isabel National Forest. Location: On Colorado 165 between Rye and Wetmore.
Bishop Castle in the Rye area of southern Colorado, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015. Photo by Dalton Walker, The Gazette
Colorado Highway 165 rolls past Bishop Castle, which is always worth a stop to explore and marvel at the man-made attraction. (Nathan Van Dyne, The Gazette)
Colorado Highway 165 rolls past Bishop Castle, which is always worth a stop to explore and marvel at the man-made attraction. (Nathan Van Dyne, The Gazette)