PUEBLO COUNTY, CO — As of Wednesday the Saint Charles Fire now sits at 459 acres in size with 23% containment. Crews said that they believe the cause of the fire can be traced back to a lightning strike.
There are currently a total of 366 personnel working on this fire. Winter weather rolling in led to a stop in firefighting efforts on Sunday due to dangerous conditions.
#ColoradoSpringsFire has sent a brush truck with 3 crew members to the St. Charles Fire. #csfd crews are on a deployment that could last up to 2 weeks. pic.twitter.com/7n6MWMhVkv
— CSFD PIO (@CSFDPIO) October 25, 2023
The Colorado Springs Fire Department is one of the many crews responding to the fire that has been a challenge to contain due to the difficult terrain firefighters face. The CSFD says a brush truck and three crew members have been deployed to assist in the fight.
Firefighting resources including hand crews, engine crews, heavy equipment, helicopters, and airplanes continue to work towards increasing containment on the fire in far western Pueblo County near the Custer County line.
As there are heavy resources on this fire the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office has issued a total burn ban for the county. No burning of any kind is allowed until further notice.
The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office has partnered with the United States Forest Service, to launch a text message service that will provide you updates on the fire. All you have to do to join is text "SaintCharlesFire" to 77295.
Due to conditions caused by the Saint Charles Fire, the following areas by Highway 78 and Highway 165 are being placed on a pre-evacuation by the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office.
- Simonson Meadows
- Aspen Acres
- Tara J.
- San Isabel Area
Officials are expecting the fire to grow overnight on Monday. Flames may be visible for those in the area as the fire could top the ridge.
Conditions could quickly change, so residents of these areas should be prepared to leave their homes. Gather all necessary medications, pets, and evacuation kits.
Some National Forest land is closed because of the fire. This map shows the area where closures are in effect.
The fire was first reported on Saturday, October 14. There were two helicopters and an air tanker assigned to the fire.
Crews said high temperatures and lower humidity in the area lead to more smoke visible across the area.
The fire is burning on United States Forest Service (USFS) land significantly northwest of the Town of Rye.
According to the Forest Service, the fire is difficult to access as it sits on the slope of a mountain.
According to the National Park Service, in the midst of a wildland fire, there are three types of helicopters used to help put it out:
- Type 1 helicopters can carry up to 700 gallons of water,
- Type 2 helicopters can carry up to 300 gallons of water and
- Type 3 helicopters can carry up to 100 gallons of water.
As of 12:00 p.m. Tuesday, a type 1 helicopter has been ordered to run water bucket drops. Firefighters are staged and fire managers are assessing the severity and danger of the situation at this time.
This is a developing story and will be updated as we learn more.
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