Wildfire burns acres near Fort Carson

Chris McLean, Pueblo Chieftain / AP



Wildfire burns 9,000 acres near Carson

By Ivan Moreno - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Apr 16, 2008 10:58:21 EDT

ORDWAY, Colo. — Firefighters were hoping rain and snow Wednesday would help them quell a blaze that scorched 9,000 acres near Fort Carson, forcing the evacuation of people living near the base.

A firefighting plane crashed near the post, killing the pilot who was battling a blaze the fire, which raged unchecked late Tuesday, said Capt. Gregory Dorman, a base spokesman. Two shelters were set up at the post and a third at a nearby community college to house evacuees.

One state highway was closed. The cause of the fire hadn’t been determined.

Winds gusted up to 50 mph along the Rocky Mountain Front Range and eastern plains Tuesday, fanning flames of another fire that quickly spread across 7,100 acres of grassland near Ordway. Authorities told all 1,200 residents to leave.

By late Tuesday, firefighters had contained 50 percent of the blaze, which damaged at least 20 buildings, four within town limits, fire information officer Chris Sorensen said.

Officials said two people died in the fire, though they didn’t immediately release details.

A third fire, near Carbondale in the western Colorado mountains, damaged at least two homes and injured one person, though the nature of the injury wasn’t known.

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/04/ap_carsonfire_041608/