TELLER COUNTY — Evacuation orders for the High Park Fire were lifted at 10 a.m. Wednesday and the incident team reports the fire is now 100% contained.
Only residents will be allowed to return home with a valid ID or other proof of residency to enter the area. Proof of residency includes, but is not limited to, utility bills, lease agreements, mail with name and address, and property tax documents.
Pre-evacuation orders have also been lifted and residents who self-evacuated can return home.
The Department of Human Services turned on Emergency Temporary Assistance funding for Families in Need during a Disaster Relief. It's available for families with children under 18-years-old.
Families should go to the Department of Human Services office in Woodland Park or call at 719-687-3335, or the Aspen Mine Center at 719-689-3584 in Cripple Creek until the Disaster Assistance Center stands up.
Those returning should take precautions as smoke is still in the area, especially for those with heart disease, respiratory illnesses, the very young, and the elderly.
The High Park Fire grew to 1,572 acres and is now 100% contained and no structures have been damaged since the fire started on May 12.
About 580 homes were within the mandatory and pre-evacuation zones including about 400 people and 75 rural businesses. According to the Teller County Assessor’s Office, the value of the evacuated properties is about $56.9 million. Pre-evacuation properties add another $216.1 million.
Teller County's Emergency Assistance and Response Program is helping to identify those who may need special assistance during a future emergency, click here to fill out the form. Forms should be printed and submitted to the Teller County Sheriff's Office.
A local disaster was declared because of the fire by the Teller County Board of County Commissioners, requiring emergency action to avoid any further damage.
A total of 279 personnel were working the fire. As of Thursday morning, many are being released by incident command.
Sign up for emergency alerts at www.peakalerts.org.
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Even before a fire threatens your home, you'll want to have an emergency plan in place for you and your family. This should include ways to get in touch with everyone, a safe meeting place, and what actions to take if a disaster were to strike.
If a fire is burning nearby, pack your car ahead of time with necessary documents, medications, clothing, and other supplies.
When flames threaten, act fast! Don't feel the need to be told to leave if you feel unsafe.
If told to evacuate, you must go now. Finally, return home only when officials say that it's safe to do so.
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Wildfire safety tips to consider before, during and after the flames
- Avoid activities with open flames or sparks
- Avoid power equipment that creates sparks
- Obey burn bans
- Properly discard cigarettes
- Keep vehicles off of dry grasses
- Call 911 to report smoke or fire
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