Springer Wildfire public briefing
For the second day in a row, authorities held a public briefing for residents affected by the Springer Wildfire in Park County.
Following a meeting Monday night at the Lake George Fire Station, residents gathered at Woodland Park High School where some evacuees are staying.
A panel of officials staged a 90-minute question-and-answer session.
The panel included the sheriffs of Park and Teller counties, and representatives of the Red Cross, The U.S. Forest Service and the Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team in charge of firefighting efforts.
For the first time since the fire, authorities revealed that it started in the Indian Paintbrush Ranch area, and cited recreational shooting as a possible cause.
“We’re looking into some leads, said Sheriff Fred Wegener of Park County. “I’m not going to comment a whole lot on that, other than they are pursuing them.”
Mandatory evacuations, and the possibility of lifting them soon, was a common concern.
While Sheriff Mike Ensminger of Teller County said he would let residents decide whether to return to their homes, Chuck Russell of the RMIMT said he wasn’t comfortable allowing that yet.
“We’ve got a cold front that is coming through tomorrow, and we’re supposed to have a little bit of wind shift. We haven’t had that yet,” said Russell. “There’s still a chance the fire could get out of Elevenmile Canyon and take off. Let’s wait a little longer and see what happens.”
Some residents also questioned whether every possible resource was being utilized in fighting the fire, afraid that it might turn into another 2002 Hayman Fire, which is the largest in Colorado history.
“We’ve ordered what we believe that we need, and we’ve ordered heavy on what we believe we need, based on the conditions,” said Russell.
Other questions centered on current fire restrictions, weather conditions, and how quickly authorities can act if the fire suddenly intensifies. Some residents asked about setting parking areas aside for RVs and other large vehicles owned by residents and tourists.
One businessman implied that his mandatory evacuation was unfair because he lives close to an area that did not receive a similar order.
Panel members admitted they couldn’t answer every question, but came away with helpful ideas and suggestions from the audience.
