BEULAH, Colo. -- Heartened by a timely wind shift and a favorable forecast, fire managers said Monday they were optimistic about the battle to corral an erratic wildfire that forced 5,000 people from their homes in southern Colorado.
"It's like you're a boxer. You've knocked the guy down, but the fight's not over yet," incident commander Marc Mullenix said.
Gov. Bill Owens declared an official state of emergency for the Mason Fire west of Pueblo, which has grown to more than 11,000 acres and is only 5 percent contained.
About 300 homes, 20 commercial buildings and 100 outbuildings and other structures are threatened, said Larry Helmrick with Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center. One front of the fire is within 2 miles of the Beulah community, officials said Monday morning. South of Beulah, residents of Rye and Colorado City have been told to be ready to evacuate on short notice.
The weather forecast held some hope for firefighters, with a possibility of rain on Tuesday.
No injuries had been reported and no homes have been lost. The lightning-sparked fire started last Wednesday.
The governor's state of emergency declaration authorizes state emergency funds to help with the firefighting expenses, now exceeding $1.78 million, said Helmrick. The declaration also authorizes the use of additional state firefighting resources such as the National Guard.
The Mason Fire is considered the number-two priority in the nation, behind a large wildfire in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
More than 420 firefighters were battling the blaze, which has shown extreme behavior, with 150-foot arching flames.
The fire is threatening homes in the town of Beulah and its surrounding ranching community, nestled in very dry terrain in the Wet Mountains about 150 miles south of Denver.
Evacuated residents were told to bring their horses, llamas and other livestock as well as dogs and cats to the grounds of the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo. By Monday afternoon, some of those evacuated earlier were allowed to return to their homes.
The fire was feeding on ponderosa pine and gambel oak, some of the most flammable wood in the West. The fire generated so much smoke at one point that aircraft weren't able to get close enough to drop retardant on its center.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has also designated the fire as authorized for federal assistance. The fire is being managed on an inter-agency basis and additional Type-1 firefighting crews -- federal as well as crews from other states -- have been requested.
Inter-agency fire managers from state, local and federal resources have been at the command post in southern Colorado since Friday when requested by Custer County.
State assets fighting the fire include single engine air tankers under contract to the state as well as ground fire equipment and an inmate crew from the Colorado Department of Corrections.
About 300 Boy Scouts from troops in Texas, Kansas and other states were evacuated Sunday from a Scout ranch in the San Isabel National Forest. They are staying Pueblo West High School until they can return to the ranch or return home.
Officials called another public meeting for affected residents. It will be held at 7:30pm at Pueblo West High School and will be hosted by the Red Cross and Pueblo County Sheriff.
Fire crews say that if the Mason Gulch fire is any indication of the season that lies ahead, it could be a busy summer.
The state's wet spring has grass and other vegetation booming, which means more fuel for the fire.
"When you start having grasses this tall and they dry out and you put wind on it, you could be talking about flames that are 20 feet into the air, rolling across highways, we have potential for extreme fires in grassland areas this summer," said Justin Dombrowski with the Boulder Fire Department.
On Sunday, Boulder county had eight wildfires. At least two of them were from fireworks.
Additional Info: Anyone wishing to donate items for the Mason Gulch Fire effort can contact the Red Cross at (719) 561-2614 or (800) 561-2614
Copyright 2005 by TheDenverChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
