SPRINGS FIRES FORCE 1,000 TO EVACUATE
Wind-driven fires in Colorado Springs on Thursday destroyed eight mobile homes, led to the evacuation of 1,000 people in a different neighborhood, and prompted officials to evacuate the airport before later resuming inbound flights.
All outbound flights from the Colorado Springs airport were canceled about 7 p.m., according to airport officials. People at the airport were told to leave about 6:40 p.m., and inbound flights were canceled about 5:30 p.m.
About 7:55 p.m., inbound flight resumed, according to airport officials.
The Alturas fire was sparked by the catalytic converter of an El Paso County Sheriff’s Office cruiser, the sheriff’s office said at a news conference, according to Denver7 News. The fire started Thursday afternoon near South Powers Boulevard and Milton E. Proby Parkway and was pushed and fueled by strong winds, shutting down both directions of Powers Boulevard. Residents were ordered to evacuate immediately. The evacuations were lifted about 7:30 p.m.
The afternoon fire prompted the evacuation of the massive Amazon Fulfillment Center Warehouse on the southeast side of the city, said Lt. Pam Castro, a police spokeswoman. The center was evacuated about 4:15 p.m. as a precaution.
Firefighters were called to the Skylark Mobile Home Park in Colorado Springs shortly before noon Thursday and encountered heavy smoke and flames towering more than 50 feet. Firefighters quickly controlled the blaze, which did not spread beyond the homes. No injuries were reported, and investigators have not determined what caused the fire, which authorities said was spread by venting propane tanks and gusty winds.
It took firefighters about 12 minutes to get to the mobile home park, in part because of a separate wildfire that was threatening homes across town. That blaze, dubbed the Ackerman fire, started about 11:20 a.m. in the 6700 block of Ackerman Drive and has burned about 25 acres, said Brett Lacey, Colorado Springs fire marshal. Fire officials evacuated around 500 homes, about 1,000 people, Lacey said.