UPDATE: For the latest on the 403 fire, click here. The story below will no longer be updated.
A wildfire, the 403 fire, burning in Park County near Lake George has spread to about 1,000 acres, and residents are ordered to evacuate as a safety precaution.
At 11:39 a.m. Thursday, residents in a one-mile radius around the intersection of County Road 403 and Alpine Meadow Lanes were ordered to “evacuate immediately due to a fire in the area,” Park County emergency management officials said in an alert. “This is a full and immediate evacuation – residents in the area are asked to leave immediately.”
An area north and northeast of Homestake Place and County Road 403, and the Wilson Lakes and Forest Glenn subdivisions also are under a mandatory evacuation. The fire, burning near the Teller County line, was first reported at 10:52 a.m. by a resident.
At 4:32 p.m., the Teller County Sheriff’s Office announced evacuations for County Road 46 to Wilson Drive because of the fire.
A pre-evacuation notice also has been given for La Montana Mesa and Las Brisas. “Be prepared to leave,” the Teller sheriff’s office said. “If you are in danger, evacuate immediately. If you need extra time or help to evacuate, consider leaving now.”
About 3 p.m. the fire, burning between Lake George and Guffey, reached 30 acres, according to Park County emergency officials, with a “minor” spread to the north and northeast.
At 5:30 p.m. officials said that the fire is within one-half mile of the Teller County line.
The Teller County Sheriff’s Office, at 8:41 p.m. on Twitter, said that fire has burned 1,047 acres.
Multiple fire agencies are working on the fire, including the Lake George Fire Protection District, Hartsel Fire Protection District, Florissant Fire Protection District, Cripple Creek Fire Department and Divide Fire Protection District. A helicopter is being used as part of the firefighting effort.
An emergency shelter is located at the Lake George Community Center, 39141 U.S. 24, the alert said. Large animals and livestock can be sheltered at the Lake George Fairgrounds, 37371 Highway 24. Pets, including cats and dogs, can be taken to the Teller County Animal Shelter, 308 Weaverville Road, Divide.
In Teller County, an emergency shelter for evacuees is set up at the Woodland Park Community Church, 800 Valley View Drive, Woodland Park, the sheriff’s office said.
There are no immediate reports of injuries or structures lost.
The Lake George area is under a red flag warning, posted by the National Weather Service, for fire danger until 8 p.m. Thursday. Low humidity and strong winds, gusting to 55 mph, prompted the warning.
“Conditions will be favorable for rapid fire spread,” the warning said. “Avoid outdoor burning and any activities that may produce sparks.”
Wildfire map
Click markers for details, use buttons to change what wildfires are shown. Map data is automatically updated by government agencies and could lag real-time events. Incident types are numbered 1-5 — a type 1 incident is a large, complex wildfire affecting people and critical infrastructure, a type 5 incident is a small wildfire with few personnel involved. Find more information about incident types at the bottom of this page.
