Several fires that ignited Wednesday night in Yuma County were extinguished, authorities said Thursday, after strong winds prompted warnings about the potential for rapid fire spread.
Residents were told they could return to their homes early Thursday morning, but asked to stay alert as winds pick up.
At least nine fires broke out Wednesday evening as strong winds moved across the state. By midnight, all fires were being mopped up except for a 12,000-acre fire burning south of Eckley, between Wray and Yuma, the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office said.
As of 5:30 p.m. Thursday, all fires were contained and a total of 14,500 acres burned, officials said.
Downed power lines likely caused the fires, but an investigation is underway, Jake Rockwell, director of the Yuma County Office of Emergency Management, said during a news conference Thursday.
Some structures were likely damaged in the fires, but no significant structures were reported destroyed, he said.
“The wind speeds are still a major hazard for us due to the wind causing potential flare-ups and potential new fires,” Rockwell said. “We’re monitoring things in case any new fires do happen.”
Officials urged Eckley residents to conserve water as firefighters pulled water from the town’s tower to fight the fires.
“With no electricity, the town can’t refill the tower. If the town can’t refill the tower and residents don’t conserve water, everyone will be without water!,” town officials wrote in a post on their Facebook page.
Firefighters will continue to monitor the contained fires for any flare-ups, Rockwell said. Utility crews are also working to fix downed power lines across the county.
“If a fire is approaching your home, evacuate immediately. Use the highway to travel to the nearest town and turn on your vehicle’s hazard lights while driving,” Yuma County’s Office of Emergency Management said in a social media post about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday. “Please stay alert, follow emergency instructions, and prioritize your safety.”
Deputies notified residents to evacuate and sent alerts via 911 calls, the sheriff’s office said. Authorities also urged residents to use their own discretion whether to leave their homes and seek safety.
“In case of evacuation please drive with your hazard lights on, watch for blown over power poles/lines or large debris on the road,” the sheriff’s office warned.
Emergency officials asked anyone with a tractor and disk ready to deploy to help with the fires to call 970-397-0431.
“During this strong wind event, the county and fire departments would greatly appreciate your support and assistance in fire suppression,” the emergency management office said in a social media post Wednesday evening.
Evacuation centers that were set up at Yuma High School, at Grassroots in Joes and Wray City Hall closed Thursday morning.
A high wind warning, issued by the National Weather Service Office in Boulder, remains in effect until 5 p.m. Thursday for Yuma and Kit Carson counties. Forecasters said to expect northwest winds between 35 and 45 mph with gusts up to 60 mph.
Hundreds of residents were out of power Thursday morning due to weather-related outages, according to Y-W Electric Association’s outage map.
The utility company said it can stop the flow of electricity if an issue, like a tree branch touching the line, is detected, but that automatic setting limits their ability to quickly restore any momentary outages and “will cause much longer restoration times.”