People forced to leave their homes in Divide can begin to return Wednesday afternoon after firefighters gained the upper hand, reaching 80% containment of the human-caused wildfire.
At noon, all mandatory evacuations for 700 homes will be lifted, Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell said during a news briefing Wednesday morning.
Officials feared what could happen after the Highland Lakes fire sparked Monday in the middle of a subdivision in the mountains northwest of Colorado Springs and grew to 166 acres amid forecasts calling for 60 mph winds.
“I fully expected this fire to be one of the worst in Teller County,” Mikesell said.
Aggressive firefighting tactics, with resources from the state and federal level, helped fire crews protect the hundreds of homes at risk, Divide Fire Protection District Chief J.T. McLeod said.
“So we’ve gone from a heavy presence of emergency forces on the ground, including Teller County sheriff, state patrol, state fire prevention and control resources, federal resources, to now where we’re back to pretty much county resources,” McLeod said Wednesday.
Crews dropped water from the state’s single-engine air tankers before strong winds kicked in Tuesday, suspending all air resources.
“Everything after that was manpower — that’s boots on the ground and that’s hand crews cutting in lines and dozers and county road graders that made a huge difference,” Mikesell said.
The fire, which started as a structure fire, is under investigation. Officials are looking into what caused the home to burn after it was started by a person, but declined to share additional details.
“We are investigating it as a criminal case,” Mikesell said.
Flames crept close to subdivisions, but no other homes besides that one structure were damaged, Teller County Commissioner Dan Williams said.
“It’s going to be shocking for some people. … In some cases, the burn is right up against your house, but your house doesn’t even have blistered paint,” Williams said.
A Stage 3 fire ban remains in effect for Teller County. No slash burning, outdoor fires, outdoor cooking, outdoor smoking is allowed. Fireworks, explosives (besides mining operations) and recreational shooting are also prohibited.