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Most Park Co. Fire Evacuees Allowed Back Home

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Jun 28, 2008 7:12 pm US/Mountain

Most Park Co. Fire Evacuees Allowed Back Home

GUFFEY, Colo. (CBS4/AP) ― Most residents evacuated because of a wildfire in Park County have been allowed back home.

Fire officials lifted an evacuation order Sunday morning for all but seven houses. Fire spokesman Ben Brack said firefighters want an extra 24 hours to protect those buildings from the 1,115-acre fire.

Fire crews were attacking the fire on the ground and in the air and hoping to build containment line around more of the fire.

A shed and a camping trailer have burned since the fire was sparked by lightning Thursday.

Fire officials say firefighting costs have reached an estimated $422,345.

There were 204 people fighting the fire, with 15 engines, five water tenders and four bulldozers on scene.

Evacuated residents were allowed to briefly return to their homes late Friday morning to collect personal belongings. About 100 homes in the Beartrap Subdivision were evacuated Thursday afternoon.

Firefighters said protection of structures and containment were the primary concerns.

Officials say the fire was started by lightning Thursday afternoon east of Guffey. That's about 130 miles southwest of Denver.

With the July 4 holiday approaching, fire incident commander Don Angell warned campers and residents to be aware of how quickly potential fires can ignite and spread.

Kevin Klein, director of the Colorado Division of Fire Safety, said several counties have enacted fire bans. At least 11 counties -- Baca, Bent, Cheyenne, Crowley, Elbert, Fremont, Garfield, Kiowa, Lincoln, Otero and Pueblo -- have restricted fires and fireworks.

Meanwhile Mesa County and Bureau of Land Management officials plan to enact fire restrictions there beginning Wednesday. Violations can be punishable with up to $100,000 fines, reimbursement of firefighting costs and prison time.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency authorized funds to fight the Park County fire on Friday. The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of the states eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant for managing, mitigating and controlling designated fires.

Wildfires

Learn more about how wildfires happen and what can be done to combat them once they do. Several links on cbs4denver.com's Wildfire Resources section also provide important information if a wildfire is threatening your community.

(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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