Colorado Wildfire Update: Emergency Evacuations Ordered, Damages To Structures Reported

Harsh weather conditions and scorching sun hampered the efforts of firefighters in Colorado as they tried controlling three wildfires – one in Costilla County that destroyed several structures, other in Grand County and a third near Ute Pass on Thursday.

The Costilla County wildfire at San Luis Valley between Fort Garland and La Veta that started as a 1,200-acre fire Wednesday grew to nearly 4,000 acres and remained uncontained Thursday. Almost 350 primary and vacation homes were evacuated in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains by the Costilla County Office of Emergency Management on Thursday and were offered shelters at the Blanca-Fort Garland Community Center.

San Luis Valley Emergency Management tweeted that some structures were burned by the wildfire. However, it is not clear if the structures included homes.

Linda Smith, a spokeswoman for the San Luis Valley Emergency Operations Center, said, “There have been structures lost.”

“I do not know whether they were homes. I do know there are a lot of homes in that area,” she added, Denver Post reported.

The Costilla County Sheriff's Office announced it was still assessing the damages and will release more information about the wildfire soon.

A wildfire near the Grand Lake Golf Course in Grand County has forced the evacuations of hundreds of homes Thursday afternoon. Grand Lake Fire Department said the areas north of County Road 48 east toward Rocky Mountain National Park to Highway 34 were evacuated.

Around 300 homes were ordered to evacuate in the Columbine Lakes and Grand Lake Golf Course neighborhoods and in all, about 450 people were evacuated, confirmed Grand County Sheriff's Office.

The evacuees were given shelter at 301 Marina Drive. They will not be permitted to return to their homes until Friday, Sky Hi News reported. The fire covered about 20 acres and no damages to structures were reported so far.

County Road 48 has been closed to the public.

The Denver Channel reported that a heavy air tanker was called to help the firefighters. It said two attack helicopters were fighting the fire and 85 firefighters were on the ground.

Electricity was turned off to customers but natural gas remained on in the region.

The Sugarloaf Fire near Ute Pass burned an estimated 300 acres and is moving toward the high alpine tundra. Grand County officials believe the fire was ignited by a lightning strike Wednesday night. However, no damages to structures were reported.

“The USFS is managing several fires in the region and resources are being prioritized where life and property are at risk,” officials said Thursday night, CBS Local reported.

“Although Forest Service management is not using full suppression techniques, they are looking for opportunities to prevent growth while minimizing risk to fire fighters,” they said adding that the "safety of the public and firefighters is most important."