BEULAH, Colo. -- Firefighters hoped for another day of cooler, calmer weather Tuesday that could allow them to rein in the 12,200-acre Mason Fire that has chased some 5,000 people from their southern Colorado homes.
About 100 residents of the Greenwood area, among the first evacuated as the fire raged out of control last week, were allowed back home Monday afternoon as the winds shifted and firefighters were able to shore up containment lines to keep the fire from spreading.
"They're going to see a little bit of a change of scenery," said Brian Scott, a fire information officer. "Firefighters had to cut off the lower limbs of trees, pull firewood from the homes, moved picnic tables and in some cases, they even cleaned the gutters."
The blaze was threatening 1,020 houses, outbuildings and other structures in Beulah and the surrounding ranching country, nestled in very dry, steep terrain in the Wet Mountains about 150 miles south of Denver.
Flames advanced to about a few dozen yards of some homes, Scott said. Fire engines were ordered to patrol neighborhoods through the night, searching for smoldering trees, brush and grass that could flare up and destroy houses.
The lightning-sparked fire was discovered Wednesday. Firefighters raised their estimate of the fire's size by more than 3,000 acres but said some of that was due to better mapping.
No injuries had been reported and no homes had burned. The fire was 40 percent contained by Tuesday evening, officials said.
Most evacuees waited patiently for word that they could return home as they met for coffee and searched for news.
"I thought I had lost it (the house) when we had to leave," said Beulah resident Frank Nemick, a firefighter for Pueblo. "But I got the call... that it was still standing."
"Sitting around, waiting to see if your house is going to burn down is the strangest feeling," said Angie Griggs, 49.
"Now we're just laughing about it because what else can you do? You can't cry," said Griggs, who had to take the day off because she forgot to grab socks and work clothes when her family left their home.
About 250 Boy Scouts and 30 staffers at the San Isabel Scout Ranch were taken to a high school near Pueblo, about 25 miles from the fire.
"Some of them were upset and scared, but once they got here they had a blast," said John Stauffer, an assistant scoutmaster with a troop of about 30 boys from Olathe, Kan. "It was like a slumber party."
Pueblo area businesses donated clothes, towels, pizzas and other necessities, and the boys got to watch movies Sunday night.
"It's not exactly what we had planned for summer camp, but it will be memorable," Stauffer said.
More than 678 people, nine air tankers, five helicopters and 58 fire trucks on the scene were able to build a containment line around 30 percent of the burn area to keep the fire from spreading. Gov. Bill Owens declared a state of emergency for the fire area and put National Guard helicopters on standby, but none of the aircraft were immediately requested, said Owens spokesman Dan Hopkins.
"I don't think it's an overstatement to say this is an epic fire," said Marc Mullenix, the U.S. Forest Service Type 2 incident commander. "We've knocked it down, but we haven't knocked it out."
Mullenix told Pueblo county officials that a Forest Service Type 1 incident team would be taking over control of the southern fire on Tuesday. That front of the fire was upgraded to a Type 1 wildfire when it moved several miles closer to Beulah.
Beulah was ordered evacuated Sunday and Pueblo County officials said they would evaluate the situation Tuesday before making a decision on whether residents can return to their homes. Residents of Colorado City and Rye remained on standby evacuation in case the fire moved closer to Beulah.
Fire Restritions Issues
Dry conditions prompted the U.S. Forest Service to issue fire restrictions for the Pike and San Isabel National Forests, beginning Wednesday. Jefferson County, west of Denver, and Douglas County, also planned temporary fire restrictions to coincide with the forest service ban. The restrictions affect campfires outside of established fire grates and smoking, except in enclosed vehicles or buildings.
In South Dakota, a wildfire blackened about 5 square miles in the Piedmont area of the Black Hills, destroying a mobile home, a motor home and an outbuilding. The flames were about 40 percent contained Tuesday, fire officials said. They expected full containment by Saturday.
The fire, west of Rapid City, was the nation's number two priority Tuesday, following the Mason Gulch Fire in Colorado.
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.
