Teller County residents who fled ahead of a wind-driven fire that broke out Wednesday west of Cripple Creek were allowed to return to their homes Friday evening, the Teller County Sheriff’s Office said.
“The firefighters were fantastic,” sheriff’s spokesman San McVay said.
“They jumped on this incredibly fast, and kept it contained to about 50 acres.”
On Wednesday, residents of the Navajo Mountain Mesa subdivision were told to flee as the Navajo fire grew and threatened their homes.
Flames came within 15 feet of one house, although no structures were damaged. Earlier Friday, at least 150 firefighters were on scene, building lines around the Navajo fire.
Another 40 firefighters from Utah arrived Friday morning to help extinguish the blaze that broke out on the ninth anniversary of the start of the Hayman fire, which was the worst in Colorado state history.
Workers rechecked structures during the night and reported that homes and vehicles are undamaged and phone lines appeared to be intact.
Investigators identified the fire’s point of origin and collected soil samples, but the cause still hasn’t been determined.
Meanwhile, after an almost week-long battle with two wildfires at Fort Carson’s Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site, firefighters have the Bear Springs and Callie Marie fires 75 percent contained Saturday morning.
As of Saturday, the Bear Springs fire had scorched 35,000 acres and the Callie Marie fire had burned 9,000 acres.
Both wildfires were discovered Tuesday morning and are believed to have been started by lightning.
The evacuation advisory for a few homes threatened by the two fires has been lifted.
