COLORADO SPRINGS — On Thursday a grass fire broke out near Northbound I-25 by Interquest Parkway. This happened in the I-25 median by Air Force Academy property.
Smoke from the fire was visible from several miles away.
The initial call arrived at 3:45 p.m. and Air Force firefighters responded to the fire. Firefighters were on scene by approximately 4 P.M., according to the Academy. The Academy response included 17 firefighters and seven vehicles. Air Force crews were also joined by firefighters from Colorado Springs, Tri-Lakes, Falcon, and Westcott.
According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, there was also poor visibility in the area. The fire also caused a large traffic backup on I-25.
#I25 southbound: Road closed due to fire activity between Exit 153 - Interquest Parkway and Exit 151 - Briargate Parkway. Use caution and watch for emergency crews. Avoid area, poor visibility. https://t.co/7pEEUWknBd
— Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) (@ColoradoDOT) November 11, 2021
At around 4:15 p.m. all Southbound lanes on I-25 closed due to the fire, but then reopened at around 4:55.
Shortly after shutting down the Southbound lanes, CDOT announced that the Northbound Lanes were also closed due to the fire.
At around 6:20 p.m. all I-25 lanes reopened. There were still emergency crews cleaning up the scene where the fire broke out.
In total, the fire burned close to 3.7 acres, according to the fire department.
The fire was then declared contained by 6:30 p.m.
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