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The Colorado Springs Fire Department is working an active fire in and around Bear Creek Park near Electra drive. 

Latest updates:

9:00 a.m. 11/20/20

The following have been reopened.

  • North Cheyenne Canon opened
  • Red Rock Canyon Open Space opened
  • Section 16 trail opened
  • High Drive and Gold Camp Road opened

8:00 p.m. 11/19/20 press conference

All evacuations have been lifted in the area and homeowners may return home as of 8 p.m.

Six engines with 24 firefighters will stay on scene overnight to mop up any remaining hot spots. Electra Drive remains closed to traffic, but all homeowners are allowed to return as of 8 p.m.

100 CSFD firefighters and CSPD 90 police officers helped with evacuations. Thank you to the numerous partners helped extinguish the fire, backfill CSFD stations and provide other support to keep Colorado Springs safe today.

Also, thank you to all of the homeowners who put in the mitigation work to help protect their homes. CSFDs slogan is “share the responsibility” and today’s event demonstrated that successful partnership.

4:30 p.m. 11/19/20 press conference

Fifty percent contained. Crews are working the interior hot spots to reduce chances of flare ups this evening. Crews will continue working through the night so that if there is a flare up, there will be immediate resources at the scene.

235 homes evacuated. Most homes are north of Orion Drive, but also some on the south side.

  • North of Buena Vista is still closed and roads north of that are closed.
  • Bear Creek is closed
  • Gold Camp Road is closed
  • Vista Grande is closed and roads west of Vista Grande are closed.
  • North Cheyenne Canon Closed
  • Red Rock Canyon Open Space Closed
  • Section 16 trail closed
  • High Drive and Gold Camp Road closed

An update about evacuations is expected at 8 p.m. 11/19/20

Flyover at 5:30 p.m. to pinpoint hot spots and assess the size of the fire. This will help ground crews target hot spots more effectively.

  • Seven water drops (about 8,000 gallons of water) onto hotspots on the fire.
  • 800 gallons of fire retardant dropped to create a fire line at Bear Creek Road

Fire burned right up to fences and back yards of homes. Mitigation by homeowners and mitigation in open space kept the fire low to the grown and from getting into trees and higher and bigger fuels. Firefighters concentrated on structure protection. No structures have been lost.

Thank you to the following agencies:

  • Colorado Springs Fire Department
  • Colorado Springs Police Department
  • Wildland team from Colorado Springs Utilities
  • Pikes National Forest as USFS resources
  • Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management
  • Fort Carson Fire Department
  • State of Colorado (provided air resources)

 

Provided firefighters to work at fire departments so Colorado Springs firefighters could respond to the Bear Creek Fire.

  • Westcott Fire Department
  • Tri lakes/Monument Fire Department
  • Black Forest Fire Department
  • Manitou Springs Fire Department
  • Cimmeron Hills Fire Department
  • Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station

2:30pm 11/19/20 press conference

Helicopters working aerial surveillance. Chinook dropping water on the fire. Air tankers will drop retardant along Bear Creek Road.

Fire size 8 to 10 acres, zero percent contained, in close proximity to homes.

Residents asked to turn off sprinklers because it is reducing water pressure in the area making it difficult for fire fighters to get the water pressure they need from fire hydrants.

No structures lost.

235 homes evacuated.

PreEvac Areas Crystal Estate (Manitou Area). Large nursing homes in the area.

Evacuation Center at Cheyenne Mountain High School

Other agencies responding

  • Colorado Springs Utilities wildfire team
  • El Paso County fire team
  • State of Colorado
  • Pike National Forest and US National Forest Service
  • Fort Carson
  • Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management

1:20pm 11/19/20

Colorado Springs fire department asking all residents in the area of the #bearcreekfire to please not turn on the sprinkler systems it’s impacting our ability to have water pressure to fight the fire.

1:30 p.m. 11/19/20

North Cheyenne Cañon, Red Rock Canyon Open Space and the Section 16 trail are currently being evacuated, and Gold camp road and High drive are closed.

1:00 p.m. 11/19/20

Meeting place for residents established at Cheyenne Mountain High School.

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