7:00 p.m.: In a press briefing Friday evening, officials confirmed that several structures have been lost in the fire, but said no loss of life or injury has been reported. El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder said most of the threatened structures are believed to be safe at this point, and that fire crews are focused now on extinguishing the blaze. He said he hopes the fire will be out before midnight.
A spokesperson for Fort Carson explained that the blaze -- which was sparked on Fort Carson and joined up with another flare up that started in the area yesterday -- began in the vicinity of a training exercise that was being conducted on post. He added that the training was necessary and could not have been delayed, despite red flag fire conditions in the region Friday.
Update 4:55 p.m.: The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office has updated the number of acres burned in the #CarsonMidwayFire to 2,032.
UPDATE: 4:30 p.m. New acreage for the #carsonmidway fire. Now an estimated 2,032 acres. No structures damaged in Pueblo County. Evacuations still in effect. Evac center @ Fountain Valley Baptist Church, 500 W. Alabama in Fountain. Large animals accepted at State Fairgrounds. pic.twitter.com/6ZhzIMUBr5
— PuebloCounty Sheriff (@PuebloCountySO) March 16, 2018
Update 2:40 p.m.: The El Paso County Sheriff's Office says "an unknown number of structures" have been lost in the fire. It's not known at this time whether those structures were in Pueblo or El Paso County, the office reports.
Update 2:20 p.m.: The evacuation area for the #CarsonMidwayfire has been expanded northward, per the El Paso County Sheriff's Office.
Evacuations have expanded Northbound Boundary – Donner Pass View, Southbound Boundary – County Line Road, East Boundary – I25, West Boundary – Fort Carson Route 1 pic.twitter.com/ByOdBmmMR6
— EPCSheriff (@EPCSheriff) March 16, 2018
The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office reports that air assets for fire suppression are being assembled to contain the blaze, which had burned more 1,234 acres as of 12:40 p.m.
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3/16 12:30 p.m.: Evacuations are underway in southern El Paso County as, for the second day in a row, a fire sparked in the Hanover/Midway Ranches area. El Paso County officials say the fire appears to have started at Fort Carson before moving off the Mountain Post.
Evacuation Map : Fire Evacuations are now High Stakes Vw and Chaps Vw East to I25, South to County Line, and West to Boca Raton Hts. Evacuation Route Indian Village Hts to I25 pic.twitter.com/VUjS3uac54
— EPCSheriff (@EPCSheriff) March 16, 2018
The Red Cross has set up an evacuation center in Fountain at the Fountain Valley Baptist Church, 500 Alabama Ave. Large animals can be taken to the Colorado State Fairgrounds in Pueblo.
Southern Colorado is under a Red Flag Warning through 7:00 p.m.
