El Paso officials look to Tuesday weather change to help quench Milne fire

By Chhun Sun, Jakob Rodgers and Maria St. Louis-Sanchez February 27, 2017 | updated 9 years ago

High winds Monday, February 27, 2017 made it difficult for crews battling a grass fire north of Hanover. Photo by Chhun Sun, The Gazette

Rain and light snow is forecast to help firefighters Tuesday as they douse lingering hot spots of a fast-moving grass fire that threatened homes a day earlier across southeast El Paso County.

All evacuation orders were lifted around 7:30 p.m. Monday, bringing a measure of closure to hundreds of homeowners after an hours-long ordeal that saw dry, gusty winds fan flames that blackened 3,275 acres of the Hanover area.

Left unclear was exactly how the blaze began and how much destruction it caused.

Firefighters have not confirmed if any homes have been burned from the blaze, called the Milne fire. However, Richard Muszynski, logistics supervisor and government liaison for the Red Cross said he saw at least one home and one trailer catch fire.

The size of the blaze was reduced from its original estimate of 7,000 acres after firefighters conducted aerial mapping. It remained zero percent contained Monday evening, despite evacuation orders having been lifted.

“The fire is laying down,” said Hanover Fire Chief Carl Tatum shortly after 8 p.m. “I’m not going to say it’s out until tomorrow.”

The blaze started about 12:30 p.m. near the intersection of Milne Road and Holman Road, about 14 miles east of Fountain. It made a run east before turning north – fueled by wind-dried grasses, temperatures in the mid-50s and gusts that reached 45 mph.

Sheriff’s deputies went door to door evacuating nearby residents, and many children in Ellicott School District 22 were sent home early as the flames spread north.

A single-engine tanker, which typically holds 750 gallons, made one drop of either water or fire retardant.

Meanwhile, fire crews fought the flames as they jumped roads and their fire lines three or four times. One firefighter was taken to a hospital with a wrist injury while fighting to save a structure.

“We thought we had it anchored a couple times, but the wind came in and busted through,” he said.

At its height, evacuation orders stretched from Sanborn Road south to Hanover Road, and from Curtis Road east to Squirrel Creek Road. About 30 fire crews from across the region and as far east as Limon helped battle the flames.

Joseph Konrad, 37, said his parents fled after watching the flames melt their trash cans and reach a pile of wood that was stacked away from the house. They left their geese, chickens, ducks and Konrad’s two dogs behind, after many of them went scurrying in different directions in fear.

The warm, snow-less weather made the fire all but inevitable, he said.

“The ground’s been so bone-dry you can kick it and the dust flies,” he said.

January and February are normally the driest months of the year for Colorado Springs, creating perfect conditions for grass fires along the eastern plains. Many grasses are considered one-hour fuels, meaning they only need that long to dry out and become easily susceptible to flame.

In addition, almost all of Colorado east of the Continental Divide is abnormally dry or in moderate to severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Fearing a flare-up, firefighters mopped up lingering hot spots until about 9 p.m., after which they planned to monitor its spread until morning.

“We want to make sure firefighters are safe,” said Carl Tatum of the Hanover Fire Department. “We don’t want anybody to break any legs.”

The Red Cross shelter at Hanover Junior-Senior High School, 17050 S. Peyton Highway, closed Monday evening.

As of 4:30 p.m., only the Konrads had sought help. Around that time, an El Paso County sheriff’s deputy approached and said their house remained standing.

But the fire’s toll became apparent when they returned home Monday evening.

Two ducks died in the blaze, which also burned a couple small buildings near their house. One of them contained Konrad’s snow blower, generator and other tools.

The flames appeared to almost circle their home, reaching to within 30 feet.

“At least the house is safe – that’s better than nothing,” he said. “I can replace the other stuff.”

Relief should come Tuesday, as an upper-level trough moves across the Pikes Peak region, bringing with it the chance of precipitation.

Colorado Springs and areas east of the city, including those affected by Monday’s fire, could see rain and even up to a half-inch of snow by Tuesday evening, said Bill Line, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pueblo. An inch or two or snow could fall in Monument and parts of Teller County.

Consider it a brief respite, he said. Skies are expected to clear and temperatures are forecast to reach the 60s by the weekend.

The forecast left Konrad with little hope the plains’ fire danger would fade – even if Tuesday brought with it a fresh coat of snow.

“That’s the bad thing,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s going to do anything.”

High winds Monday, February 27, 2017 made it difficult for crews battling a grass fire north of Hanover. Ranchers moved cattle away from the fire at Milne Road and Clements Road. Photo by Mark Reis, The Gazette

MARK REIS

High winds Monday, February 27, 2017 made it difficult for crews battling a grass fire north of Hanover. Photo by Chhun Sun, The Gazette