Wildfire in Teller County now 60% contained

DIVIDE, Colo — Crews are aggressively attacking a wildfire in Teller County that has burned more than 160 acres and forced the evacuation of about 700 homes.

The Highland Lakes Fire is burning northwest of Divide, in the area of County Road 51 – Cedar Mountain Road. The fire is 60% contained as of Tuesday evening. 

> 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,” Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell said. “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 are within the evacuation area. 

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

Residents who need to be escorted to their homes to retrieve life-critical medicines should contact Teller County Dispatch at 719-687-9652 to schedule an escort. Those who need to shelter their animals can take their smaller pets to TCRAS or larger animals like horses to the fairgrounds in Cripple Creek.

“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.