UPDATE: Double Fork Fire near Boone fully contained
UPDATE 4:35 p.m.: The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office says the Double Fork fire is now fully contained after burning 824 acres.
Update 9 a.m.: The Double Fork Fire is now 95% contained and Highway 209 has re-opened. According to the Pueblo County Sheriff, favorable conditions overnight have helped with containment. The size of the fire is still about 500 acres. Crews will continue working on Friday, and the Juniper Valley hand crew is expected Friday afternoon. A cause is still under investigation.
PREVIOUS STORY: Boone residents were given the clear to return home at about 8 p.m. Thursday after a large fire tore through a nearby area.
Residents are encouraged to use Highway 96 to return home. The fire was 75 percent contained as of 8 30 p.m. and had burned about 500 acres. The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office said residents may see flames throughout the night, but crews will be monitoring the fire.
An evacuee who watched as flames grew close to a structure said in tears, “I’m terrified. We know a lot of people out here and we can’t get a hold of them.”
Woody Percival, Fire Captain for City of Pueblo said the fire had lots to burn, “most of it was the low brush fuels but it moves into the heavy treed area into the river bottom of the Huerfano River and Arkansas River.”
Highway 209 will remain closed overnight.
Earlier
A fire has burned 500 acres near Boone, just east of Pueblo, and more than 200 homes in the town had to be evacuated Thursday.
It’s not clear how the fire started, but crews are currently working to contain a perimeter. It’s being called the #DoubleForkFire, according to the sheriff’s office. It was 60 percent contained by about 7:10 p.m.
One person was injured, according to the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office. The extent of their injuries wasn’t known.
There are several houses in the area, and the fire is continuing to grow. It was about one mile wide as of 5:20 p.m. It’s not clear if any structures have burned at this time. ( MAP ) The sheriff’s office says 229 homes in town were evacuated.
The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office said evacuations are ordered for residents in Boone. A Red Cross shelter has been set up at Pueblo County High School, and large animals can be taken to the Colorado State Fairgrounds. If you need help evacuating animals, call 544-3005.
Evacuations are ordered for residents in the Town of Boone. Residents should go to Pueblo County High School.
— PuebloCounty Sheriff (@PuebloCountySO) April 12, 2018
Highway 50 and Highway 96 were reopened by about 8 p.m. Highway 209 remained shut down.
An air quality health advisory was issued for parts of Pueblo, Crowley, and Lincoln counties due to the smoke. Winds were reported near 40 mph in the area with higher gusts blowing from the southwest.
PCSO says about 100 firefighters from nine different agencies are working the fire. It still wasn’t contained as of 6:30 p.m.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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