A massive response by firefighters and public officials kept the Highland Lakes fire in Teller County near Divide from becoming a disaster.

The fire had reached 90% containment as of Thursday afternoon, the Sheriff’s Office reported. No additional reports concerning containment were received after Thursday, but most of the local fire protection districts were released as mop up operations continues.

The area of Divide received about an inch of snowfall Wednesday night, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Michael Garberoglio, which he said would aid containment efforts.

The snowfall came after a day of high winds on Tuesday, which forced state and federal agencies to withdraw air support for the fire. Most of the containment reached after that was achieved through on-the-ground manpower.

The 166-acre fire started Monday at a house in the middle of a subdivision in Divide, and quickly expanded into a wildfire, causing over 700 households to be evacuated early in the week. All evacuations and road closures were lifted Wednesday afternoon.

Courier reporting found that the owner of the home, located at 13 Beaver Lake Circle, had a judgment ruled against her last week forcing the sale of her home, which was under foreclosure.

According to court documents obtained by The Gazette, Teller County District Court Judge William Moller on Oct. 23 ruled against the home’s owner and forced the sale of the property.

The court records state that the owner did not respond by the Oct. 21 deadline in the civil case, and thus the court ruled that it was proper to approve the motion filed by Select Portfolio Servicing to order the authorization of the sale of the home.

On Wednesday, the Teller County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the Highland Lakes fire is believed to have been started by a person, and criminal charges are being considered as part of the investigation. No charges have been officially filed as of Thursday afternoon.

No additional structures have been damaged and no additional people have been injured, officials have reported.

Courier reporter Zachary Dupont contributed to this report.