Firefighters are battling multiple wildfires across southeast Colorado.
A fire near Bent's Fort — known as the Bent's Fort Fire — has burned roughly 2,200 acres and under10% contained, according to fire officials Wednesday morning.
There is another fire burning near Fort Lyon. Officials do not know how big the fire is, but the Las Animas Sheriff's Office said the fire is 0% contained. The sheriff's office said the Fort Lyon historical site has not been damaged.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife closed the 19,741-acre John Martin Reservoir State Wildfire Area near Fort Lyon due to the fire.
U.S. 50 closed between Las Animas and La Junta due to the fire activity, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation, but reopened around 11 p.m.
There have been multiple evacuations because of the fire, according to the Bent County Sheriff's Office, but it is unclear which fire sparked the evacuations. All of Fort Lyon has been evacuated.
There are over 125 people at the shelter in Las Animas.
Two dwellings were burned in the Fort Lyons fire, according to fire officials. One of the buildings was occupied, officials said.
A Wildland Task Force, featuring engines from Arapahoe and Douglas County, deployed from Castle Rock to help with wildfires in Las Animas and Otero County.
A Wildland Task Force with engines from Arapahoe and Douglas County just departed from Castle Rock. The firefighters are deploying to assist with wildfires in Las Animas and Otero County.
— South Metro Fire Rescue (@SouthMetroPIO) April 13, 2022
Agencies include @ArapahoeSO @crgov @BennettFirePIO and South Metro. pic.twitter.com/Sban7Mople
Another large fire was also burning near Cheraw earlier Tuesday, but was contained before the night ended.
A 10-acre fire in the Trinidad area, called the River Bottom Fire, also broke out Tuesday near the Highway 160/350 bypass. As of 8:20 p.m., the fire was 30% contained. Mutual aid resources were released from the scene at 9 p.m. and returned at 7 a.m. Wednesday to finish constructing fire lines and mop up the fire. The Village East mobile home park was under mandatory evacuation, but residents were since allowed to return home.
A mandatory evacuation order was also lifted for a neighborhood west of Wigwam along I-25 after crews knocked down a 20-acre fire between Colorado Springs and Pueblo Tuesday. No structures were damaged, and a cause is not known.
This is a developing story.
