Residents who evacuated their homes over the weekend as a wildfire in southern Colorado consumed thousands of acres near Fort Carson were able to return home Monday, officials said.
As of Monday morning, the 24 fire had charred 7,385 acres in Fremont and El Paso counties with no containment, . It was last mapped Sunday evening at 4,605 acres.
No update on the fire’s containment was available Monday afternoon, but all pre-evacuations in and counties had been lifted, sheriff’s officials for both counties said. Homes in a two-mile radius of Colorado 115 and Fremont County Road F45 moved from mandatory evacuation orders to pre-evacuation notice.
Fremont County residents returning to the area will need to provide identification with an address in the previously evacuated zone to return home, officials said. That includes utility bills, rental or lease agreements, voter registrations, property tax receipts or first-class mail.
The fire burned several thousand new acres overnight Sunday, growth partially fueled by fire crews trying to box in the flames by pre-burning areas, according to fire officials.
“Backburning is a technique in which crews deliberately set fires along firebreaks in order to reduce potential fuel for the wildfire, slowing or preventing the spread of flames,” Fremont County sheriff’s officials said.
The wildfire was reported just before 11:30 a.m. Wednesday and grew rapidly in the following days as high winds blew across Colorado.
Colorado 115 remained closed in both directions on Monday between Fort Carson and the Penrose area, . The highway is expected to remain closed through at least Friday, according to Fremont County officials.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
