Last updated 8:20 p.m. Sunday, April 10, 2022
Multiple fires in Southern Colorado Sunday prompted the evacuation of an animal shelter in Pueblo, and other areas in El Paso and Teller counties. It was not immediately known how many people were affected by the evacuations.
Red flag and high wind warnings blanketed much of southern and eastern Colorado Sunday. About 2 p.m., a fire started in Pueblo that forced the evacuation of the PAWS For Life animal shelter on the northeast side of the city, as well as Pueblo’s City Park and in the nearby Aberdeen area. Red flag warnings are issued when conditions are ripe for the start and spread of wildfires, including warm temperatures, high winds and dry conditions.
The National Weather Service in Pueblo said the fire was driven in part by 40 mile per hour wind gusts. At about 6:00 p.m., authorities said the fire was 75 percent contained, but high winds remained a concern. They also said about 18 acres had burned in the Pueblo blaze, and that all evacuations had been lifted.
In eastern El Paso County, agencies responded to a fire southeast of Falcon, prompting evacuations near the area of Curtis Road and Patton Drive. Multiple agencies responded, including the Falcon Fire Department, El Paso County Sheriff's Office and the Colorado Springs Fire Department. Wind gusts were around 30 mph, according to the National Weather Service in Pueblo.
And in Teller County, a fire that began around 5:00 p.m. around County Road 89 led to short-lived evacuations for a small portion of people who live near that road, southwest of Cripple Creek. The sheriff's office instituted a ban on all burning until noon Wednesday.
Fire danger across Colorado is likely to remain high over the next few months. Current red flag warnings in the area are set to expire at 10:00 p.m. for portions of the southern Colorado area while others on the eastern plains, are set to expire at 8:00 p.m. Monday.
