The 24 Fire that burned around 7,400 acres near Penrose was started by a malfunctioning vehicle traveling along Highway 115. The preliminary results of an investigation that is still ongoing.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the fire is currently 44 percent contained. Highway 115 is still closed, but the Fremont County Sheriff's office said they are reassessing the decision daily. The road could open by Friday.
Wednesday's higher temperatures also resulted in higher plumes of fire, according to the sheriff's office. Fort Carson officials said that doesn't reflect any changes in containment.
Evacuation orders were lifted midday on Monday. Both Fremont and El Paso counties are under Stage 2 fire restrictions.
Mykel Kroll directs the Fremont County Emergency Management office. He said the region is experiencing record fire conditions.
“Mother Nature is not giving us any help,” Kroll said. “We really need everybody in our communities to be prepared, have plans in place, and listen to the warnings when they go out.”
Kroll said while firefighters continue working to put out the 24 Fire, now is the time to heed all warnings and take all precautions.
“We don't want to flip cigarettes out. We don't want to be dragging our chains when we're towing a trailer. We don't want to be doing burns,” he said. “Anything that creates a spark this year right now could turn into a catastrophic wildfire.
He encouraged residents of Fremont and Custer counties to sign up for text notifications to stay informed about fire conditions. In El Paso and Teller counties, the system is Peak Alerts.
