The Oak Ridge fire is burning on more than 1,000 acres of U.S. Forest Service land in southwest Pueblo County, fire officials said Thursday morning.
Sparked by lightning during weekend thunderstorms, the wildfire was first reported Saturday morning about 3 miles northwest of Beulah in Pueblo County. Fire growth started slow over the weekend, but on Monday the flames grew from a small, 5-acre area to 275 acres in less than six hours.
As of Thursday, the fire was burning on 1,025 acres of U.S. Forest Service land — about the size of 777 football fields put together — and was 0% contained, forest officials said in a morning update. The flames grew about 17 acres overnight.
Middle Creek Canyon Road remains under a mandatory evacuation order, and homes on Vine Mesa, Cascade Avenue, Pine Avenue and Beulah Highlands Road are on pre-evacuation, fire officials said Thursday.
“The fire is active on all sides and is expected to spread in all directions,” fire officials said Thursday.
More than 260 fire personnel were on scene Wednesday night to fight the blaze, which is being fueled by a mix of timber and brush in Pike-San Isabel National Forests and Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands, according to fire records.
Air tankers dropped eight loads of retardant to slow the spread of the fire overnight Wednesday, mainly on the north and west ends, fire officials said.
The Oak Ridge fire isn’t expected to be contained for nearly a month, according to forest officials. The estimated containment date is July 24.
Containment isn’t the end of the flames — it’s the status of a control line being completed around the fire that can be expected to stop the fire’s spread. A wildfire can continue to burn for days or weeks after being fully contained.
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Forest officials shut down the Pike-San Isabel National Forests west of Beulah — from Forest Road 386 to the north to Colorado 78 to the south and Colorado 165 to the west — until July 26 because of the fire.
Closed trails include South Creek, Second Mace, Second Mace Spur, Silver Circle, Left Hand, Squirrel Creek, Mountain Park, Coupler, Dome Rock and Middle Creek, according to the agency.
Davenport Campground, Second Mace/Squirrel Creek Trailhead, Mingus Cabin, the Nature and Wildlife Discovery Center’s Mountain Campus and Squirrel Creek Interpretive Site are also closed.
A temporary flight restriction is in effect around the fire to give room for fire crews to work — flying outside aircraft or drones in the area will impede firefighting efforts and ground fire crews’ aircraft, officials said Thursday.