Last Update: 7:45 p.m., Tuesday, 10/8/19
Effective Wednesday at 10 a.m., Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze is lifting evacuation notices for the residents of the Methodist Estates and Boothill subdivisions, as well as other residents who access their homes via County Road 108 and the Chaffee County residents who access their homes via County Road 101, Bear Creek. Valid ID or rapid tag ID is required to gain re-entry. All residences remain on pre-evacuation notice.
In Fremont County, Pine Ridge remains on pre-evacuation notice, as well as portions of Howard.
Last Update: 3:40 p.m., Monday, 10/7/19
The Fremont County Sheriff's Office has lifted pre-evacuation notices for Wellsville and Swissvale. In the announcement, authorities say the pre-evacuation notice for Howard could be lifted tomorrow (Tuesday).
Some residents in Chaffee County remain on mandatory evacuation.
Last Updated: 4:40 p.m. 10/6/19
Some evacuation orders have been lifted.
Press Release from Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office :
“Effective Sunday, October 6, 2019, at 3pm, Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze is lifting the evacuation order for all residents of the Fawn Ridge Subdivision as well as residents evacuated from CR 110, 111, 111a, as well as residents of Mountain Vista Estates, (Paradise Acres) and the residences accessed above Mountain Vista Estates accessed from CR 104. The evac order is also rescinded for the residents living east of CR 104, accessed from private drives south of HWY 50 with the exception of residents living on CR 101, Bear Creek. Chaffee County residents living on CR 101 will still be evacuated.
Re-entry into Fawn Ridge as well as CR 110, 111 and 111a will be allowed at the check point at CR 110-111. No re-entry will be allowed on CR 111 from Hwy 50. Residents on CR 104 will be checked at the current check point on CR 104. Residents will be required to show evac issued credentials or valid id. NO RE-ENTRY WILL BE ALLOWED UNTIL 3PM.
All residents who are allowed back into their homes will be kept under pre evacuation status and are reminded to be ready to evacuate if the need arises. These residents, as well as all county residents are reminded that fire activity and smoke will still be visible as there is still fire activity in the affected area. The Type 1 Team will be burning control lines in the affected area and this fire will also be visible.
All residents still under evacuation order will be notified of a public meeting to discuss fire progress which will be announced and held asap.
The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office Command Post will be moved to CR 107-108. Residents of Methodist Estates and Boot Hill will respond to this new location for escorts into their homes. Access on CR 108 and the powerline road into the Methodist evac area will still be controlled. The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office will still provide 24 hour patrols in the evac area.
The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office is conferring on an ongoing basis with the Type 1 leadership in regards to current fire conditions and as soon as it is safe to do so residents of Methodist evac area will be granted full access back to their homes.”
Last Updated: 9:40 a.m. 10/6/19
As of Sunday morning, the fire had grown to 6,155 acres.
Last Updated: 11:55 a.m. 10/5/19
The Fremont County Sheriff's Office has announced pre-evacuation notices for Howard, Pine Ridge, Wellsville, and Swissvale. The Sheriff's Office said Friday that weather models are predicting strong west winds, which could push the fire east, and residents should be prepared in case a mandatory evacuation notice is issued.
Other evacuation notices listed here remain in place.
As of Saturday morning, the fire was 5921 acres and 5 percent contained. More updates can be found here.
Previous Post:
The Chaffee County Sheriff's office and Fremont County Office of Emergency Management have issued evacuation notices due to the Decker Fire, burning south of Salida. As of Friday morning, The blaze had grown to more than 5800 acres. 9 News reports at least one structure has been damaged by the fire update, according to an update Thursday afternoon from the Rocky Mountain Incident Command team.
The Chaffee County Sheriff's Office has ordered evacuations for the following areas:
- Methodist Mtn Estates
- Boot Hill
- Pinon Ridge Estates
- Subdivisions from County Road 110 to County Road 104, including the residents above Tudor Rose on County Road 104
- Mountain Vista Village trailer park
- Fawn Ridge Estates between Fawn Ridge and County Road 110, south of CR 111
- County Road 104 east to County Road 101, including County Road 101 and Fremont County Road 49 (Bear Creek)
Additionally, County Roads 104, 107 and 110 above CR 111 are closed to traffic going up to Methodist Mountain.
Officials are asking all residents to evacuate to the Methodist Church in Salida, where a Red Cross shelter is in place.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 2, Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze estimated about 129 total homes fall under these orders in Chaffee County
In Fremont County, the Office of Emergency Management has issued evacuation notice for the following:
- CR 49
Evacuees are being instructed to go to the Salida Methodist Church, where a Red Cross shelter is set up. Evacuees who need to retrieve medications or animals from property within the evacuation zone are asked to call the Chaffee County Dispatch Center (719) 539-2596. Officials will work to escort residents back into the area. Livestock, including chickens, be housed at the Chaffee County Fairgrounds. Domestic animals, such as dogs and cats, can be housed at the Ark Valley Humane Society.
The Decker Fire started Sept. 8 as a result of lightning. It has been burning predominantly within the Sangre de Christo Wilderness area, and authorities decided to manage the fire to limit its spread to private property and to engage the fire under circumstances with high probability of success and low risk to firefighters.
The fire is 5% contained.
