Update: Fremont County Wildfire
FREMONT COUNTY – A 100-acre wildfire continues to burn south of Florence and has closed County Road 15 a few miles south of Highway 67.
For many in the area, relief came just from the sight of less smoke on Saturday compared to the huge plumes created Friday. Emergency crews credit hard work overnight and favorable conditions (more humidity, less windy) for giving firefighters a chance to get the upper hand.
An American Red Cross shelter remains openat Florence High School for families temporarily displaced by the fire. It’s located at 2006 State Highway 67 in Florence.
A Red Cross spokesperson says so far only one person has shown up, but they will keep the shelter open as long as necessary. The Florence Police Dept evacuated the Los Pinios subdivision and parts of the Lock Mountain Estates on Friday and have yet to add to that evacuation list.
Firefighters got reports of the fire around noon on Friday. It was burning on Florence Mountain, 500 yards from North County Road 15.
Helicopters used water from the Florence City Water Reservoir to help douse the flames. Afternoon winds did cause problems for crews trying to put out the fire.
No injuries have been reported and no structures have been lost. Sheriff Beiker says firefighters believe the fire was man made but no official cause has been given.
The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office Wildland Fire Team, Florence Fire District, Penrose Fire District, Colorado State Forest Service, Juniper Valley with Department of Correction, Bureau of Land Management, and several other local agencies are working together to contain the fire. Bureau of Land Management is flying with air support. Efforts are being made to let the U.S. Forest Service firefighters take command of the firefighting operations.
STORMTRACKER 13 Chief Meteorologist Matt Meister reports that fire crews will be fighting against occasional gusts of up to 25 mph in the area as they attempt to setup containment lines.
NEWSCHANNEL 13 has crews on the scene tracking the situation and will have up-to-the-minute alerts on KRDO.com and a live report on NEWSCHANNEL 13.
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Tips to protect you from unhealthful air:
Stay indoors. Choose indoor options when air pollution levels are unhealthful. Keep your windows and doors closed. Use your air conditioning system and place it on recirculation mode, if available. Reduce outdoor activity. Reducing your physical activity in outdoor areas lowers the amount of polluted air your body intakes. Curtail your involvement in outdoor activities and events that require prolonged exposure and strenuous exercise or sports participation.
Stay alert. Listen to your local news and weather forecasts and air quality alerts provided by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD). If the air quality in your area worsens take necessary precautions and plan your activities accordingly. While the ash and smoke are visible reminders of the pollution currently impacting our area, be even more cautious of the fine particles you can’t see. These particles, which are invisible to the naked eye, bypass our natural defense system and lodge into our lungs. They can cause irritation, and over the long-term cause decreased lung function. They also make us more susceptible to developing diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema and possibly cancer.
