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Oklahoma wildfires continue spreading into Colorado; Campo evacuation lifted

More than 36,000-acres has been burned by two fires that both originated around five miles south of the Colorado-Oklahoma border, prompting evacuation orders that were lifted late Sunday.

They are two of three fires that ignited within the Oklahoma panhandle in Cimarron County since Thursday, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Meanwhile, another fire sparked in New Mexico near its tri-state border with Colorado and Oklahoma, as its perimeter stretches into Cimarron County and within a few hundred feet of Baca County.

The Sharpe fire, which began on Friday, is the largest and least contained fire burning in the area, with 28,200 acres scarred and 5% containment. Around 18,000 acres have burned in Colorado from the fire.

The fire prompted officials to issue evacuation orders for Campo in Baca County, as the fire perimeter spread northward to the east and west of the town. Over 200 firefighters and civilians combatted the flames on Sunday, allowing those orders to be lifted, according to the county’s emergency management.

Campo has a population of around 100, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Gov. Jared Polis verbally declared the fire as a disaster emergency over the weekend, giving state emergency officials control of the response to it, according to a press release by the governor’s office.

In an update on Monday, Baca County Emergency Management cautioned residents that the winds are “supposed to get bad again today” and urged them to sign up for emergency alerts on its website.

Donations of drinks and non-perishable food for the Sharpe fire responders can be dropped off at the county’s emergency operations center north of Springfield, according to a post on social media by the Baca County Sheriff’s Office. Officials asked that donations do not be delivered directly to firefighters.

Around 10 miles east, firefighters have reached 65% containment on the 18,444-acre Ballard fire in a more remote part of Baca County, where officials have not issued evacuation orders for the fire.

All of the county remains under an extreme or critical fire risk on Monday, according to the National Weather Service, which issued a red flag warning from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in areas including Baca and Las Animas counties.

The fires weren’t the only natural disaster to occur in southeastern Colorado on Monday, as a 3.0 magnitude earthquake rumbled near Walsenburg around 5 a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is working with city officials to determine if assistance is needed, but none was requested so far, according to a post by the agency on social media.



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