Tag: wildfires
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All evacuation orders lifted for Las Animas fire near Army site
Las Animas County officials announced all evacuation orders for the Bear fire will be lifted at 6 p.m. on Thursday. The blaze continued to grow overnight after igniting a day earlier north of the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site. Residents north of County Road 78.9 near Bear Springs Road were allowed to return to their homes…
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Fire near Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site prompts evacuations in Las Animas County
A 125-acre fire that ignited Wednesday afternoon a few hundred feet north of the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site prompted evacuations for rural residents in the area. Las Animas County Emergency Manager Darren Kolakowski confirmed to The Gazette that evacuations are for residents along Bear Springs Road and County Road 78.9. Evacuated residents and large animals…
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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…
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El Paso County lowers fire restrictions
Fire restrictions were downgraded Tuesday to Stage 1 following late spring showers in the Pikes Peak region, according to a news release from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. Restrictions started at Stage 2 for the county on Feb. 16 amid fire weather conditions that has had officials on edge. The Sheriff’s Office said in…
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What does Colorado’s first statewide wildfire building code mean for homeowners?
Starting this year, Colorado is the first Western state after California with a statewide, mandatory building code for structures in the wildland-urban interface, where communities encroach on wilderness with wildfire potential. The deadline to adopt the code was April 1. In some jurisdictions, it was a formality cleared with a short discussion and vote. The…
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State touts enhanced firefighting assets as drought drives higher fire danger
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State officials warned Thursday of elevated wildfire risk this summer, particularly in June and July across the Front Range and western Colorado, as severe drought grips much of the state. But investments in firefighting resources should help firefighters better focus on “initial aggressive attack and detection” strategies, they said. Gov. Jared Polis and top firefighting…
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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…
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4,200-acre fire prompts evacuation order near Hanover
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation order for a nearly 6-mile stretch north to south in Hanover on Wednesday evening. The Hammer fire, located near Hammer Road and Hanover Road, stood at 4,200 acres as of 7 p.m., according to watchduty.org. The evacuation order was in place for Hammer Road east to…
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‘Not your normal warning’: NWS Pueblo issues first particularly dangerous situation red flag warning
Critical fire weather conditions are expected to return to southeastern Colorado on Wednesday, prompting the National Weather Service in Pueblo to issue its first-ever particularly dangerous situation red flag warning. The agency’s Pueblo office implemented the new criteria for a PDS at the beginning of this year to better communicate “higher-end” events, senior meteorologist Steve…
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Polis pushes back after Trump administration again denies federal disaster aid
A dispute over federal disaster aid escalated Monday as Colorado Gov. Jared Polis faulted the Trump administration for rejecting the state’s appeals for assistance following last fall’s fires and flooding. The state initially filed for a Major Disaster Declaration for the Elk and Lee fires in Rio Blanco County last August and for flooding in…