More evacuees arrive at Pueblo County shelter as authorities announce new evacuations in the Aspen Acres wildfire

PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- A Red Cross supervisor said that "fewer than ten" new evacuees have arrived since the overnight announcement of a new evacuation zone on the fifth day of the Aspen Acres Fire in Custer County.

"And we expect that more are coming," the supervisor said just before 5 a.m. on Friday.

The new evacuees come from the east side of the fire zone, between Interstate 25 and the Colorado City area, which had been on pre-evacuation status.

The Pueblo County shelter is set up at the county's recreation center, just south of the Pueblo city limits.

Earlier this week, the shelter's director said that roughly half of the 40 beds assembled were in use; but he also said that the shelter has enough beds, food and other resources to handle more evacuees.

The supervisor on Friday morning confirmed that is still the case.

The Red Cross also provides an animal shelter where evacuees can keep their pets.

At least one woman -- possibly among the new evacuees -- was sleeping in her car on Friday morning.

Some evacuees are staying elsewhere but come to the shelter for the three daily meals offered there.

KRDO 13 spoke with one of the new evacuees, who said he was staying at a hotel while his house was being repaired after a kitchen fire earlier this year.

"I tried to put that fire out, and now it looks like the home may burn down anyway," he said.