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UPDATE: Evacuation orders lifted for Hammer fire burning near Fountain; blaze 60% contained

Firefighting crews on Thursday reached 60% containment on a 4,969-acre wildfire southeast of Fountain that grew by 800 acres overnight after igniting Wednesday, El Paso County officials posted in an update on social media.

Crews from 20 agencies were battling the flames that were stoked by strong wind gusts and low humidity, which prompted a red flag warning. The authorities lifted evacuation and pre-evacuation orders for residents in much of the Hanover area Thursday afternoon.

No injuries were reported and no structures were damaged, officials from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said in a media briefing Thursday.

The fire was reportedly human-caused, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

Squirrel Creek Road reopened to the public after being closed after the fire began Wednesday. The road separated the two orders by officials, with an evacuation order to its south and a pre-evacuation warning to the north.

The authorities used the Hanover Junior-Senior High School as an evacuation shelter since classes at the school were canceled Thursday due to the fire.

A map of the Hammer fire and evacuation orders as of Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Courtesy of the Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management)


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