CONIFER, Colo.—Firefighters say they went door-to-door telling people to evacuate ahead of a deadly Colorado wildfire an hour before an automated phone system began sending out evacuation alerts, and one of the residents they warned was later found dead at his home.
Inter-Canyon Fire/Rescue said Monday a firefighter told Sam Lucas to leave. The bodies of Lucas and his wife, Linda, were found at their home.
The timing of the evacuation notices raised questions about how authorities and residents responded to the March 26 fire. More than two dozen homes were damaged or destroyed and as many as three people died.
The automated phone calls began shortly after 5 p.m. Inter-Canyon Fire/Rescue says one of its firefighters began alerting residents to leave at about 4 p.m., but some refused to go.
