COLORADO SPRINGS — Thousands of people fled the neighborhoods north and west of the city after the Waldo Canyon fire unleashed waves of flames late Tuesday afternoon.
Showers of ash fell as traffic gridlocked on Interstate 25 and all major eastbound roadways, clogged full of refugees and fire equipment. Witnesses flooded the internet on Twitter, describing the scene as “an apocalypse” and “terrifying” and posting photos of the city wrapped in a sinister orange and black cloud.
Houses were engulfed in flames as evening arrived. The historic Flying W Ranch, west of town, confirmed on its website that the popular site for chuck wagon outings had “burned to the ground.”
The latest evacuations were for most of the area northwest of Colorado Springs, including Pinon Valley, Rockrimmon and Woodmen valley, home to thousands of residents. The Pine Valley housing area south of the Air Force Academy was evacuated and, about 7:30 p.m., the academy itself was ordered evacuated.
The evacuations covered the entire area north of Garden of the Gods and west of I-25.
All traffic was eastbound-only on Garden of the Gods Road and Woodmen Road as businesses and motels shut down and residents fled. Frantic people who begged to be allowed to return, saying they relatives at homes, were being turned back by police.
The Colorado Springs Fire Department urged people to use their cell phones for emergencies only while the Sheriff’s Office announced that utilities were being cut off in the northwest part of town.
At 7:30 p.m., southbound I-25 had been closed down at Interquest Parkway to facilitate the evacuation at Pine Valley and the Air Force Academy.
The weather was no help, as the temperature in Colorado Springs hit 101 degrees, an all-time record for the city.
Fire officials said Tuesday morning the Waldo Canyon Fire is now estimated to be 5,168 acres with 5 percent containment.
“If I told you an acreage right now, it would be wrong in about 10 minutes. It is getting bigger,” incident commander Steve Harvey, said during a 4 p.m. update, shortly before the fire’s sudden leap.
A new shelter for evacuated people was being opened at the Southeast YMCA Family Center, 2190 Jet Wing Drive.
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Denver Post staff writer Kurtis Lee contributed to this report.
