Evacuation orders lifted for Mills Ranch Road Fire

WOODLAND PARK — A 7-acre fire is burning in Teller County off of Mills Ranch Road in Woodland Park. The Sheriff's Office says there are crews from 10 agencies working to get containment. 8 homes have been displaced.

Containment at this time is roughly 10%, and 10 agencies are responding.

The fire is currently burning about 4 1/2 miles north of Woodland Park, and fire crews say winds are largely blowing the fire to the north and east.

The Sheriff's Office lifted mandatory evacuation orders for the areas 1 mile north and east of Mills Ranch Road and East of Sour Dough Road, and 1 mile past Lovell Gulch Road at 8:40 P.M. Residets are now able to return home.

Pre-evacuation notices are also lifted for the Trible B Ranch Road and Red Rocks area.

Teller County is under Stage 1 Fire Restrictions at this time.

According to First Alert 5 Weather Meteorologist Alex O'Brien, conditions at the scene are around 45 degrees with 15% humidity, winds are out of the west-northwest at 12 miles per hour.

Download the First Alert 5 Weather app for the latest conditions and forecast.

KOAA

This is a developing story, News5 is on the way to the scene.
_____

Fire restrictions

Teller County also issued a restriction on open burning and all open burning permits are suspended, effective immediately.

There are some exceptions including:

• Barbecues and pits, at least 10 feet away from combustible walls or roofs or other combustible materials.
• Campfires that are contained within a designated fire pit, at least 25 feet away from all structures or other combustible material.
• Fire pits must be less than 3 feet in diameter or 3 feet in length and width, and at least 18 inches in depth.
• A garden hose connected to a water supply or other approved fire-extinguishing equipment must be readily available.
• All campfires must be attended by a person knowledgeable in the use of fire extinguishing equipment until the fire is completely out.
  

The following is not allowed under the restrictions:

• Open burning of materials not contained in an incinerator, outdoor fireplace, barbecue, grill, or pit.
• Use of any explosives, fireworks of any type, firing of model rockets, welding or operating an acetylene or other torch with an open flame in an outdoor location.

____

RELATED:

Want to sign up for emergency alerts in El Paso and Teller counties? To sign up for the Peak Alerts system visit https://elpasoteller911.org/246/Peak-Alerts or for more information call (719) 785-1900. If you have questions you can also email info@elpasoteller911.org

HOW TO PREPARE FOR AN EVACUATION

To be prepared to evacuate:

1. Pack a kit that includes everything your family needs to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours.
2. Don’t forget communication: Print a hard copy list of phone numbers, a battery or solar-powered radio to monitor emergency notifications, and sign up for emergency notifications through PeakAlerts.org to get emergency notices.
3. Don’t forget prescription medications, important documents, and take photos of a home inventory for insurance.
4. Have your kit ready to grab at a moment’s notice because disasters don’t wait for you to get your stuff.

Keep in mind everyone's kit will be different depending on different needs. Learn more about what should be in your kit with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office 'Ready, Set, Go' program.

Recent Colorado wildfires emphasize need for evacuation plans
Colorado Springs Fire Department to host 'Living with Wildfire' Town Hall Series
Emergency response experts say more people need to sign up for alert notifications

Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.