RESIDENTS TOLD TO BE READY TO EVACUATE AS WILDFIRE GROWS
Authorities asked residents near the Pine Gulch fire north of Grand Junction to be packed ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice as the fire continued to grow this weekend.
The 23,882-acre wildfire has been growing steadily since it was sparked by lightning on July 31, fueled by dry vegetation, gusty winds and low humidity.
The fire is burning in remote, steep slopes about 18 miles north of Grand Junction in Mesa and Garfield counties, and the rough terrain has made firefighting difficult.
It was about 7% contained Sunday.
A handful of homes along County Roads 200 and 202 had already been evacuated, authorities said Saturday, and residents who live along County Roads 204, 209, 207 and Clear Creek Road were issued pre-evacuation notices Saturday evening.
Those residents should be packed and ready to leave immediately should the fire approach, authorities said, noting that the order affects only about eight homes.
Residents in the pre-evacuation area will be notified inperson by emergency personnel if an evacuation is ordered, and notifications will also be made through the Garfield County Emergency Notification System and online.
Nearly 500 people are fighting the fire — 472 personnel are on scene — and authorities were expecting to see “moderate to high rates of spread” Sunday.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued a 24-hour air quality warning for northern Mesa County and southwestern Garfield County Sunday morning, warning that the areas would see moderate and heavy smoke. The advisory encouraged residents who experience heavy smoke in their neighborhoods to stay inside.
Man killed in Denver shooting. A man was killed in Saturday night shooting in Denver’s Whittier neighborhood, according to Denver police.
The shooting was reported at 11:21 p.m. in the 2400 block of North Downing Street, according to police.
Officers arrived to find one man who had been shot; he was taken to a hospital where he died.
No suspect information has been released. A police spokesman said Sunday there were no additional details available on how the shooting unfolded.
Man killed in Aurora shooting. A man was shot to death in Aurora early Sunday morning, according to Aurora police.
The shooting was reported just after midnight in the 200 block of South Joplin Circle in the Centre Pointe neighborhood, police said in a statement Sunday.
The victim died at the scene. “No information on what led up to this shooting or details about the suspect(s) are available at this time,” police said in a statement.
The man who died has not yet been identified.
30 people displaced after multifamily complex catches fire. Thirty people were displaced at a multifamily complex in Aurora on Saturday morning because of a fire.
Aurora Fire Rescue responded about 8 a.m. to a structure fire near Sable Boulevard and Dearborn Way, the agency tweeted.
Seven units in the complex were affected, and the Red Cross was assisting the displaced residents, fire officials said.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.