A wildfire in Elephant Butte erupted and razed to about 50 acres as of 7 p.m. on Monday, prompting authorities to issue an order to about 1,000 homes in Evergreen to evacuate to safety.
Around 100 firefighters from several departments, three helicopters, three large air tankers, single-engine air tankers, and Tatanka and Pike Hotshots crew are racing against time to stop the fires before it reaches residential areas. Authorities are calling for more resources to put out the fire, including an elite force of firefighters. The water used to douse the fire was sourced from Evergreen lake.
American Red Cross also responded to firefighters and residents in need of assistance.
Firefighters had to contend with the lighting while doing the operation, prompting them to withdraw. According to Evergreen fire officials, they will return as soon as the lighting clears.
It rained briefly but, "unfortunately, the rain didn't help as much as we hoped," the sheriff's office posted on Facebook.
The fire was estimated to have covered 48 hectares as of 8 p.m.
The fire, as of Monday, 6:50 p.m., had zero containment. In a briefing at 6:30 p.m., fire officials report that no homes had burned so far, and there are no injuries reported so far.
Authorities are still investigating how the fire started.
1,000 Homes Evacuated
The spokeswoman for Evergreen Fire Rescue, Stacee Martin, said they got a 911 call about the fire at about 2:45 p.m., and the office of the Jefferson County Sheriff Office sent out evacuation calls immediately.
The residents of the Upper Bear Creek Road Elephant Area were issues and evacuation orders on various platforms. According to the sheriff's office, they sent 2950 Code Red phone calls, 1070 text messages and 826 emails, to warn the residents about the fire, and advising them to leave their area immediately.
A code red was initially sent to residents about a 5-mile radius, which includes 250 homes, but has the order has since increased to cover about 1,000 homes.
The designated evacuation centers are King Murphy Elementary School at 425 Circle K Ranch Road and the Evergreen Middle School on Hiwan.
Livestock and animals are to be sheltered to the county fairgrounds, while pets can take refuge at the Foothills Animal Shelter in Golden.
Authorities are also advising people to avoid Jeffco trails and Elk Meadow and Alderfer/Three Sisters, two known open space parks, as it is closed due to the fire.
The sheriff's office also assured everyone that structural protection is in place should the wildfire worsen.
A Hot and Dry Week in Denver
Denver has been under hot weather the entire week with little moisture. This hot weather has prompted Jefferson County to implement a fire ban on Monday because of the hot and dry condition of the area.
The ban covers prohibiting fires of any kind, including campfires, smoking outside designated areas or a car, and the use of fireworks or other related activities that may pose spreading of fires.