More evacuees arrive at Pueblo County shelter as authorities announce new evacuations in the ‘Aspen Acres’ wildfire
PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- A Red Cross supervisor said that "fewer than ten" new evacuees have arrived since the overnight announcement of a new evacuation zone on the fifth day of the "Aspen Acres" fire in Custer County.
"And we expect that more are coming," the supervisor said just before 5 a.m. on Friday.
The new evacuees come from the east side of the fire zone, between Interstate 25 and the Colorado City area, which had been on pre-evacuation status.
The Pueblo County shelter is set up at the county's recreation center, just south of the Pueblo city limits.
Earlier this week, the shelter's director said that roughly half of the 40 beds assembled were in use, but he also said that the shelter has enough beds, food and other resources to handle more evacuees. The supervisor on Friday morning confirmed that is still the case.
The Red Cross also provides an animal shelter where evacuees can keep their pets.
At least one woman -- possibly among the new evacuees -- was sleeping in her car on Friday morning.
Some evacuees are staying elsewhere but come to the shelter for the three daily meals offered there.
KRDO13 spoke with one of the new evacuees, Boyd Townsend, who said that he was staying at a hotel while his house was being repaired after a kitchen fire earlier this year.
"I tried to put that fire out, and now it looks like the home may burn down anyway," he said. "At the Days Inn, we knocked on doors to make sure everyone got out. It was full, and many of the people were fire evacuees. The manager there was really nice. Some of the people didn't have to pay anything, because they just didn't have it."
Raechel Thompson evacuated from Beulah to the shelter several days ago with her son and brother.
"It made us feel special," she said. "It made us feel that Pueblo cares about Beulah, Rye, Wetmore, and so many other places. It's a good feeling. It makes me really love Pueblo. I didn't love it as much before."
One evacuee said that the flames came to within 75 feet of her home; another evacuee said that she lost her home, had to give up her pet, and is now looking for a new house in Pueblo.
Evacuees who thought the worst of the fire was over, will go into the holiday weekend fearing how much worse things can get.
Authorities have set up a checkpoint at the intersection of Highway 165 and Crow Cutoff.
Near the I-25 interchange, a liquor store had closed, leaving a note on the door for customers; a convenience store next door, however, remained open.
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