Evacuations lifted for Highland Lakes Fire

DIVIDE, Colo — The Teller County Sheriff’s Office said on Wednesday that it’s lifting evacuation orders for a wildfire that burned more than 160 acres.

The Highland Lakes Fire is burning northwest of Divide, in the area of County Road 51 – Cedar Mountain Road. The fire was 80% contained as of Wednesday morning. The fire had forced the evacuation of about 700 homes.

Evacuations for residents lifted at noon. The checkpoint for re-entry will be at County Road 51 and County Road 511. Non-residents will be allowed in the area after 4 p.m. Wednesday, the sheriff’s office said.

> Evacuation and pre-evacuation information from the Teller County Sheriff’s Office.

The Teller County Sheriff’s Office said the fire started as a structure fire near Beaver Lake Circle in the Highland Lakes area Monday afternoon.

“With low moisture content, high grasses, because we had a really wet spring … the grasses grew pretty high,” said Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell. “Fire can move very quickly through those dry grasses.”

Mikesell said unexpected rain that fell over the area late Monday helped with some containment.

Mikesell said one home had been lost in the fire. No injuries had been reported, and no additional structures were lost as of Tuesday afternoon.

Mikesell said the fire was human-caused.

“I can’t get into the investigation, but we are treating this as a criminal act,” he said.

The first evacuations were ordered around 4:30 p.m. Monday. About 700 homes were within the evacuation area. 

An evacuation center was open at Woodland Park Community Church at 800 Valley View Drive.

“We feel good because we have the state of good containment,” Mikesell said. “But really today because of the fire conditions we are going to be very aggressive. I want everybody to know, this is the most aggressive I’ve seen during this time of the year.”

> Video below: Officials provided a Tuesday morning update on the wildfire: 

An emergency Stage 3 Fire Ban has been issued for the entire county. That means absolutely no open burning is allowed. It includes:

• Campfires
• Warming fires
• Charcoal grill fires
• Explosives
• Firing of model rockets
• Welding or operating an acetylene or other torch with an open flame
• All outdoor welding and cutting activities with an open flame
• Prescribed burning of fence rows, fields, wild lands, trash and debris
• Use of fireworks

Smoking is also banned except within an enclosed vehicle, trailer or non-commercial building.