Hayman Fire Estimated At 30,000 Acres

DENVER -- The Hayman Fire took a dramatic turn Sunday night, burning quickly toward Deckers and Trumball, with another finger jumping Highway 126 south of Buffalo Creek.

The fire, burning in Park, Douglas and Jefferson Counties and is out of control, estimated at 19,200 acres by 7 p.m., and was burning at a rate of at least 500 acres an hour, according to fire officials.

HAYMAN FIRE INTERACTIVE VIDEO: Heavy Fire Near Signal Butte 6/18 VIDEO: Over Turkey Rock 6/17 VIDEO: Burned Homes In Douglas County DISCUSSION: How Can Wildfires Be Prevented? SURVEY: Forest Service Liable? SURVEY: Should State's Forests Be Closed? SLIDESHOW: Hayman Fire Explodes 6/18 SLIDESHOW: Deckers Area Fire Tour (Thursday) SLIDESHOW: Working The Fire SLIDESHOW: Dramatic Pictures SLIDESHOW: From Viewers MULTIMEDIA: Causes And Protections SIZE Subdivisions In Zone Perimeter Map At 137,000 Acres Early Fire Growth Early Satellite Image Large Satellite Enhanced Color Satellite With Landmarks EVACUATION Neighborhoods Affected Tips Pets, Large Animals INFO Get Federal Funds How You Can Help Open Fires Banned Penalties Fireworks Shows On? Forest Closure Wildfire Terminology Smell Smoke? Effect On Wildlife RESOURCES Hayman Fire Incident Page Douglas County Jefferson County Teller County National Incident Report Fire Bans

U.S Forest Service officials said that the fire split and made a major run Sunday afternoon. It burned around the area that the Schoonover Fire charred several weeks ago, said Barb Timock of the Pueblo Interagency Fire Dispatch. By Sunday night it had jumped Highway 126 about 7 miles south of Buffalo Creek.

Jefferson County officials ordered the evacuation of all residences south of Sphynx Park "border to border and county to county." That Additional fire personnel were called in to help in structure protection.

One firefighter was injured Sunday afternoon and taken off the front lines, 7NEWS reported. Eight hikers who were trapped when their way out of the forest was burned were rescued after a few frantic attempts, 7NEWS Airtracker Rich Westra said. All of the missing hikers are safe and accounted for.

Jefferson County had earlier asked residents in the Wigwam camps, the town of Deckers and the Trumbull area to voluntarily evacuate. All points west of Highway 67 to the Jefferson and Douglas County line are also evacuated. That evacuation order affects more than 1,050 homes.

The fire jumped Highway 67 between Deckers and West Creek.

The Forest Service already evacuated homes in the subdivisions of West Creek, Lutheran Valley, Trout Creek Farm, Rainbow Falls and Wild Horn. Pine Creek Estates, the Molly Gulch and Goose Creek campgrounds, the Flying G Girl Scout Ranch and the Lost Valley Guest was also evacuated.

More evacuations could be necessary. The next areas affected by the order would be Buffalo Creek and then Pine.

Shelters have been set up at Woodland Park High School on Highway 67, Sedalia Elementary School, Lake George High School and Elk Creek Elementary School along U.S Highway 285.

The blaze moved to within 44 miles Denver, crossing from Park County into Douglas and Jefferson County in the Pike-San Isabel National Forest.

It's believed that the fire started Saturday afternoon by an illegal campfire, 7NEWS reported.

It was moving rapidly in the north, northeast direction toward the Cheesman Reservoir, the Rocky Mountain Regional Coordination Center said.

One air tanker and three choppers are providing air support and about 120 firefighters are at the scene.

Yellowish Smoke Drifts Into Many Suburbs

Smoke from the Hayman fire blanketed the Front Range with a yellowish haze, causing fear and stirring panicked calls to 911 and our 7NEWS newsroom.

Health officials said that the smoke looked worse than it was. It did not raised air pollution levels to the degree that Denver has seen during a winter smog alert, but asthmatics and those with breathing problems were advised to stay indoors and to close windows.

Drivers in the area were asked to use headlights since some areas had been limited to 1/4-mile visibility.

The smoke was pushed over the metro area by high winds blowing at 20 to 30 mph. In satellite photographs, the smoke plume can also be seen drifting all the way to the Wyoming border. Humidity is about 9 percent.

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According to 7NEWS Meteorologist Pam Daale, the haze will not clear until Monday, since the winds that are pushing the smoke in our direction are expected to remain strong throughout the evening.

The blaze jumped South Platte River near Custer Cabin and two power lines were shut down Sunday afternoon as a precaution, 7NEWS reported. Homeowners have not lost any power, an Xcel Energy spokesman said.

County Road 77 is closed between Highway 24 and Park County Rd 31.

Fire Creates Its Own Weather System

The Hayman Fire is so massive that it has created its own weather, Daale said.

Daale explained that when trees burn, they release some of their moisture into the atmosphere in the form of water vapor. With the intense heat of the fire, that moisture rises quickly. When the moisture comes in contact with cooler air in the upper atmosphere, it condenses, forming a thunderhead cloud.

This explains why several viewers from Castle Rock have called the station to report hearing thunder.

In fact, Colorado thunderstorms form in the exact same way, but instead of fire causing the rising motion, another weather factor is involved, i.e. a cold front.

It takes a special fire to cause something like this to occur, and it's not surprising that a 19,000-acre fire could cause something of this nature, Daale said. Because of the intense heat and very dry surface conditions, it's unlikely that the storm will produce much if any rain.