New wildfire starts in Park County, south of Fairplay

Park County officials said Thursday that firefighters are currently battling a wildfire that has burned close to 50 acres in an area south of Fairplay.

The fire was said to have started near Jones Hill, west of Highway 285 and south of County Road 22. ( MAP ) By Friday afternoon, officials said it had grown to more than 1,200 acres.

Mandatory evacuations were ordered for residents near Weston Pass. The Fairplay Community Center at the Park County Fairgrounds has been set up as a shelter.

The fire had consumed 47 acres of land as of 5:20 p.m. Winds were pushing from the southwest at 10 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. At least three firefighting helicopters were responding to the blaze.

This comes on the same day that nearly 100 firefighters are battling a large blaze west of La Veta.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.