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Cause identified for fire on Curtis Rd in El Paso County

Sheriff's Office: 38-acres burned with few structures damaged
Curtis Rd Fire
Evacuation zone for 4-10-22 fire
Curtis Rd Fire 4-10-2022
Curtis Rd Fire
Posted at 5:19 PM, Apr 10, 2022
and last updated 2022-04-11 21:15:57-04

EL PASO COUNTY — The El Paso County Sheriff's Office has lifted all mandatory and pre-evacuation notices for the 38-acre fire burning near Curtis Rd.

According to El Paso County Sheriff's Office, the fire is considered to be 100% contained. No injuries have been reported.

Falcon Fire Division Chief John Webb says the cause of the fire was accidental. They believe it started near Curtis Road and Patton Drive from a vehicle pulling a trailer which ended up causing sparks.

The area impacted by the mandatory evacuation was bordered to the west by Curtis Rd, east to Slocum Rd, north to Falcon Highway, and south to Highway 94. People living east out towards Peyton Highway were under pre-evacuation notice.

Everyone was allowed to return to their homes on Sunday night.

The El Paso County Sheriff's Office says a field, a home, and an outhouse were burned during the fire. There's no word on what sparked the fire reported just after 5 pm Sunday.

As the Falcon Fire Department is the lead agency in this effort, crews from local fire departments were called in for mutual aid. The Colorado Springs Fire Department sent 5 engines and a battalion chief to assist in the effort.

People living in the area were being contacted by personnel going door-to-door to assist them in evacuating swiftly.

Video and images from News5 viewer Justin Frederick show what appears to be a structure on fire, near several other structures. Heavy black smoke could be seen for miles around the location.

Curtis Rd Fire - Justin Frederick
News5 viewer Justin Frederick shared this image of the fire along Curtis Rd in eastern El Paso County. (4-10-2022)

A Red Flag Warningwas in effect until 8pm to include Pueblo, the San Luis Valley, Fremont County, Teller County, El Paso County, eastern Huerfano County, central and eastern Las Animas County, Otero County, Kiowa County, Crowley County, and Bent County. Humidity was forecast to drop below 10% with winds gusting frequently from 30-40 mph, and as high as 55 mph.

Want to sign up for emergency alerts in El Paso and Teller counties? To sign up for the Peak Alerts system visit https://elpasoteller911.org/246/Peak-Alerts or for more information call (719) 785-1900. If you have questions you can also email info@elpasoteller911.org

HOW TO PREPARE FOR AN EVACUATION

To be prepared to evacuate:

  1. Pack a kit that includes everything your family needs to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours.
  2. Don’t forget communication: Print a hard copy list of phone numbers, a battery or solar-powered radio to monitor emergency notifications, and sign up for emergency notifications through PeakAlerts.org to get emergency notices.
  3. Don’t forget prescription medications, important documents, and take photos of a home inventory for insurance.
  4. Have your kit ready to grab at a moment’s notice because disasters don’t wait for you to get your stuff.

Keep in mind everyone's kit will be different depending on different needs. Learn more about what should be in your kit with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office 'Ready, Set, Go' program.

RELATED:
Recent Colorado wildfires emphasize need for evacuation plans
Colorado Springs Fire Department to host 'Living with Wildfire' Town Hall Series
Emergency response experts say more people need to sign up for alert notifications

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