UPDATE: Fire at 1,190 acres, rain slowing spread

UPDATE: SUNDAY 6/30/2024 8:36 a.m.

(PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo.) — Rain and cloud cover helped slow the spread of the Oak Ridge Fire in the overnight hours of Saturday, June 29. The rain did not put out the fire, but it reduced the activity enough to give firefighters the chance to implement indirect hand lines and continue to “box in” the fire.

The fire is now currently at 1,190 acres with zero containment.

ORIGINAL STORY: Oak Ridge Fire at 1,156 acres, CSFD assisting

SATURDAY 6/29/2024 12:38 p.m.

The Oak Ridge Fire Page reported a slight increase of acreage on Saturday, June 29, to 1,156 acres, and the fire is at zero containment, as of about 11 a.m.

According to the official fire information update , most of the area north, west, and south of the fire is steep and rugged, making it difficult for firefighters to quickly and safely access in the event of increased fire behavior or an accident.

Crews are working to connect firelines to box in the fire and provide opportunities to conduct burnout operations to reduce fuel loads. The area is particularly overgrown as there have been no records of fire inside or outside the perimeter for over 100 years.

Crews have created a buffer between the fire and the town of Beulah and will continue to monitor the fire line and mop up any hot spots. Structure protection crews will keep scouting to locate and assess structures east of the fire, along the County Road 78 corridor, and the Highway 165 corridor west of the fire.

The Middle Creek Road is still closed and homes along the road are under a mandatory evacuation . The following are under pre-evacuation status: Vine Mesa, Cascade Avenue, Pine Avenue, and Beulah Highlands Road.

The U.S. Interagency Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program is now producing a daily smoke outlook report for Southeast Colorado and the Oak Ridge Fire. The report can be accessed here .

The Colorado Springs Fire Department also announced that it has sent a Type 6 brush truck with three crew members to assist with the fire.

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