FORT CARSON — Snow fell on a 5 p.m. news conference at Fort Carson where officials announced that the fire that has burned for two days should be contained by morning.
“If it keeps going like this, (containment) will be pretty soon,” said Jim Reid, El Paso County Emergency Services Division commander.
Officials did not yet have a number on how much of the fire is currently contained. They adjusted the overall acreage to just under 9,000 acres.
“We are very lucky no one lost any homes,” said El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa.
He said crews were still working on hot spots. They will go home and get some rest and reassess the situation in the morning.
“I feel pretty confident we have the upper hand,” he added.
Maketa said about 75 people were evacuated from homes in and around the Turkey Canyon Ranch area near Colorado 115 Tuesday, but residents were allowed back into their homes at about 2:30 p.m. as rain and snow moved into the area.
A Montana pilot was killed fighting the fire last night when his plane crashed as he was dropping slurry.
Gert Marais, 42, of Fort Benton, Mont., was on contract to the U.S. Forest Service when he crashed a single-engine air-tanker about 6:15 p.m.
It was Marais’ first slurry run of the day, said Steve Segin, a spokesman for the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center.
Marais worked for Aero Applicators Inc. of Sterling and was flying an Air Tractor 602. The plane has a 600 gallon slurry capacity and flies a range of 620 miles.
Winds at the time were sustained at 14 mph and gusting up to 20 mph, Segin said.
“Our deepest condolences go to his wife, Esme, and his family,” Fort Carson said in a statement.
Marais had both a transport and commercial pilot license, according to Federal Aviation Administration records. He was also a licensed aircraft mechanic and had updated his medical certificate in 2007.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.
“We lost a fellow firefighter, and that is a great loss to us,” said Jim Reid, El Paso County Emergency Services Division commander.
“Winds were high, but pilots make their own decisions about whether to fly,” he said. “Obviously that was their decision and that’s why they were in the air.”
He said about 50 firefighters continued to work on the blaze, and that water drops from helicopters would continue throughout the afternoon.
As many at 300 firefighters had battled the fire on the western edge of the Army base south of Colorado Springs.
Fort Carson spokeswoman Dee McNutt said the fire broke out Tuesday in the Juniper Valley area along Colorado 115, the main road from Colorado Springs to Cañon City.
Strong winds gusted up to 50 mph in Colorado Springs, the National Weather Service said.
The winds propelled the fire yesterday, but firefighters were aided by the cold front this afternoon.
“We are waiting for the cold front to pass through,” Segin said. “Snow and rain, that’s what firefighters are waiting on.”
Three shelters were set up for evacuees near Fort Carson. Two were on base, and one was at Pikes Peak Community College.
Volunteer Mary McFee said nine people spent the night at the college. Students stopped in today to offer help.
At noon, about two dozen people waited in their cars at Pawnee Road and Colorado 115 for the road to reopen. Most were residents of Turkey Canyon Ranch.
Noni Peterson, who lives in the 15000 block Henry Ride Heights, had spent the night in Colorado Springs.
“I feel like I should have been let back in last night to get my pets,” Peterson said.
Peterson said her neighbor was not evacuated, and he’s promised to rescue her dog, a German short-haired pointer, and two parakeets.
“Right now, I’m sitting here hoping that things are going to change,” Peterson said. “I’m just hoping that the snow comes on.”
Peterson said she saw a large fire burning south of where Fort Carson has a simulated Iraqi village set up for training maneuvers.
The cause of the fire and a specific point of origin has not been released. The U.S. Army is investigating.
Jake Jacob, deputy director of Emergency Services with Fort Carson, said the base did not have a controlled burn scheduled.
He said soldiers had been training in an area adjacent to the fire.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com
