COLORADO SPRINGS — Mandatory evacuations for the Waldo Canyon Fire were expanded Wednesday to include the town of Crystola (in El Paso and Teller counties) and the south and east sides of Woodland Park.
Fire officials said at an afternoon news briefing that wind was a big factor in fighting the blaze on Wednesday.
Colorado Springs Fire Chief Rich Brown said that on Wednesday, as was the case Tuesday, conditions are “erratic.”
He added: We “put out as many burning embers and hotspots as we can.”
Incident Commander Rich Harvey concurred. “I hate wind … Wind is big factor in how we do this fire. It won’t stay in the same place. The winds keep shifting on us.”
He said fire managers are expecting thunderstorms as a cold front moves in from Denver.
A lot of people expressed concern because Wednesday’s weather mirrors Tuesday’s. Harvey said everyone saw firsthand how quickly the fire can move.
“We’re learning its tricks,” Harvey said of the fire’s propensity to make quick runs.
The El Paso County Sheriff’s office announced about 1 p.m. that the pre-evacuation area had been expanded to Holland Park and Pleasant Valley. Minutes later the pre-evacuation notice was expanded to include the communities of Palmer Lake and Monument, north of the Air Force Academy to County Line Road and west of Interstate 25.
Fear of weather and wind changes caused a mandatory evacuation of about 3,000 people in Woodland Park and part of Teller County this morning.
A mandatory evacuation order was issued around 11:30 a.m. for areas east of Highway 24 to Baldwin Street, which turns into Rampart Range Road.
According to Woodland Park Mayor David Turley, the city is responding well and things are, for the most part, calm.
“Earlier this week we reviewed our evacuation plan and feel confident,” Turley said.
The possibility of thunderstorms, which can lead to unpredictable winds, was the driving factor in the decision.
“The fire right now, like yesterday, did not push toward us but it’s creeping,” Turley said, adding that the blaze is two miles from the closest residences.
“We thought it was prudent to do a mandatory evacuation in case the winds did blow our way, especially after seeing what happened in Colorado Springs yesterday,” Turley said.
Shelters for evacuees have been set up at Summit Elementary School. 490 Meadow Park Drive, Divide; and Cripple Creek High School, 410 N. B St., Cripple Creek.
The rest of the city, which is not under mandatory evacuation, is under a pre-evacuation notice.
About 7,200 live in Woodland Park, Turley said.
The Waldo Canyon Fire, which started June 23, has burned 15,324 acres and is 5 percent contained, fire officials said Wednesday morning. No injuries have been reported. Acreage figures were not updated at an afternoon news conference.
“This event that is on going is certainly unprecedented in the city,” said Lt. Jeff Kramer, an El Paso County Sheriff’s Office spokesman.
Fire incident commander Rich Harvey called Tuesday “a historically challenging day.”
Overnight, flames could be seen burning homes in the Mountain Shadow neighborhoods. With the light of dawn, news helicopters reported seeing smoldering foundations.
Colorado Springs Police Chief Richard Brown told a morning news briefing that homes had been impacted overnight, but he declined to give any numbers. City officials did not release a number of destroyed homes at the afternoon briefing.
“We’re in an offensive position. We’re doing everything we can to save homes,” he said.
“Don’t be deceived by what you see across the valley,” he said, pointing to the haze of grey smoke hanging above the city. “Our people have been fighting that all night long — they’re fighting while we speak.”
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office issued a pre-evacuation notice Wednesday morning to residents in the southwest part of the county. “The Waldo Canyon fire burning in El Paso County is expanding and poses a threat,” the notification stated.
The affected area is bounded by the Palmer Divide Road on the south, Noe Road on the north, Spruce Mountain on the east, and Rampart Range Road on the west.
About 1 p.m. it expanded the notice to the area including Westcreek and the Rainbow Falls neighborhood.
Those residents are advised to be ready for immediate evacuation should conditions warrant.
Fire officials expect to have more than 1,000 firefighters battling the blaze Wednesday. Many of the firefighters will be concentrating within the fire perimeter, using fire engines and water hoses to protect homes.
“We’re doing everything we can to get the right resources here to do the job,” said Harvey.
He said the fire exploded Tuesday afternoon, driven by fierce, unpredictable winds. On Wednesday, firefighters are bracing for afternoon thunderstorms and a flash flood watch has been issued for the fire zone.
“We expect more trouble from the weather today,” Harvey said.
Colorado Springs Police Chief Peter Carey said his force and other jurisdictions are protecting the neighborhoods.
One of those neighborhoods is where Sandra Fales lives.
She wiped away tears Wednesday morning as she pulled clothes for her three children from the trunk of her car. Fales and her children spent the night at the Red Cross shelter set up at the Southeast YMCA .
Shelters have also been set up at Lewis Palmer High School and Cheyenne Mountain High School.
After watching the fire for hours, Fales was ordered to evacuate around 11 p.m., she said.
“I watched it roll down the hill as it took out everything,” Fales said. “The flames just took it all out.”
Fales lives in the west side of the city, off Fillmore Street. She said she does not know if her home survived the night, but she’s not holding out hope.
“I’m just trying to compose myself before I go back inside to my kids,” Fales said. “It’s going to be 50 questions and I don’t have the answers.”
Wednesday is Fales’ 3-year-old daughter’s birthday, she said.
Interstate 25 is open through the area, but drivers trying to exit westbound at Woodmen Road, Nevada/Rockrimmon, and Garden of the Gods Road will be detoured. U.S. 24 is closed between Crystola and the Teller/El Paso County line.
The Air Force Academy is closed to visitors. Garden of the Gods park and the Pike’s Peak Highway and cog railroad are closed.
Last night the fire crossed Queen’s Canyon. The fire line along the south side of U.S. 24 so far has held. Firefighters have been monitoring U.S. 24 and a crew quickly snuffed out Tuesday a spot fire that had jumped the road.
The fire has reached the south side of Rampart Recreation Area and reservoir.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Kramer from the sheriff’s office said there is no person of interest. Officials are taking tips from anyone who may know what happened in Waldo Canyon on Saturday.
Winds whipped so high on Tuesday night that a spot fire started across Rampart Reservoir after an ember, or embers, traveled a half-mile to a mile over the water, incident commander Harvey said.
That spotting is still a concern. Spotting distances can be up to half a mile. The probability that a spark will ignite is 65 percent, he said, meaning each ember could be a start.
