’24 Fire’ grows over 7,385 acres with 44% containment

Fort Carson update Wednesday, March 25, “We would like to thank the Penrose and surrounding communities for attending last night’s town hall. Your concerns were heard and your support has been greatly appreciated.

The 24 Fire is now at 44% containment with no increase in acreage. Firefighters continue to make great progress in strengthening control lines, removing debris and clearing Highway 115. While Highway 115 remains closed, this decision is reassessed daily.”

• Fort Carson update Tuesday, March 24, “As of Tuesday morning, 24 Fire control lines are currently holding the perimeter, with total acreage remaining at approximately 7,385. Containment remains at 24%. A reminder that containment reflects the control line’s strength, not an indication that the fire is out. A fire is only fully contained when crews are confident the fire will not be able to spread beyond the perimeter.With warm weather expected over the next few days, ground crews are working to thicken control lines, increasing both width and depth. A town hall will be held for the residents impacted by the 24 Fire’s response on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Penrose Elementary School’s gymnasium. Media are welcome to attend.”

FREMONT COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- Fort Carson officials confirmed on March 25, that the "24 Fire" burning off of Highway 115 in Fremont County stands at approximately 7,385 acres while the containment has increased to 44%.

Fremont County Sheriff's Office update Monday, March 23, As of 2:00 PM, Fremont County residents who were evacuated may return to their homes, and the evacuation order has been lifted. The area previously under evacuation will now shift to pre-evacuation status, and residents should still have a plan to evacuate if the need arises. The area previously under pre-evacuation is no longer under that status.

Residents returning to the area will need to provide proper identification with an address within the impacted area. If the identification does not include an address within the impacted area, proof of residence or ownership will be accepted. This may include one of the following:

a. Utility bill

b. Rental/lease agreement (landlords may be contacted for further verification)

c. Voter registration

d. Property tax receipt

e. A piece of first-class mail with name and address

f. Any document that proves residence or ownership within the evacuated area.

The re-entry point will be at the intersection of State Highway 115 and K Street.

State Highway 115 will remain closed to allow firefighters to continue working safely and effectively.

With the shifting of the evacuation orders, the livestock shelter at the Pathfinder Park Event Center will remain open for owners to come and reclaim animals from now until Tuesday, March 24th at noon. Staff will be onsite the entire time to make sure animals are properly discharged. This means you do not need to rush back to the shelter during the dark. Come when you are available and if you need more time to arrange transportation past noon on Tuesday you can call Beth at 719-251-0245 to arrange that. Animals will only be discharged to their owners or the other listed contacts on the initial intake form.

The Red Cross is closing the evacuation shelter located at Pathfinder Park.

The Fremont County Office of Emergency Management will host a town hall meeting for those impacted by the fire. Details about the meeting will be released at a later time.

Below is the full statement from Fort Carson:

Monday, March 23, 9:54 a.m. Per Fort Carson officials, “Sunday evening, fire crews were successfully able to tie in all control lines, boxing in the fire. As of this morning, control lines remain strong. Due to a combination of backburn operations and fire activity, the 24 Fire along Highway 115 now stands at approximately 7,385 acres and 0% containment. Backburning is a technique in which crews deliberately set fires along firebreaks in order to reduce potential fuel for the wildfire, slowing or preventing the spread of flames.

Smoke will continue to be visible in the area as crews work to contain the fire. Highway 115 is expected to remain closed at least through Friday, but will be reevaluated daily.

We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.”

The El Paso County Sheriff's Office lifted its pre-evacuation notice for Hwy 115/Sandy Creek Ranch HTS. The evacuation was ordered on March 22, but law enforcement says it is now safe to return to the area.

The emergency operations center remains available and can be reached at 719-276-7421.

The fire broke out on Wednesday, March 18, around 10 a.m. and is believed to be human-caused. Crews initially achieved 50% containment and estimated the fire was 67 acres on Thursday, March 19, in the morning.

By Thursday afternoon, smoke plumes were seen from across Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and even Teller County, prompting alerts from several fire departments, and the fire jumped to over 600 acres within a matter of hours.

So far, no injuries or structural damage have been reported.

This year, Colorado is experiencing its warmest start to a water year in 130 years, combined with one of the driest periods on record, according to officials. Colorado Springs Utilities is even urging residents to conserve water.

KRDO13 will have live updates in our shows and online throughout the day. This is a developing story and may be updated.

Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.