UPDATE FRIDAY 6:40 a.m. — The Inter-Canyon Fire Protection District reported that as of Friday morning at 6:40 a.m., the Deer Creek Canyon Park Fire is 50% contained.
Friday morning's conditions are better suited for firefighting than Thursday evening, they said, but that could change as the temperatures warm and humidity decreases.
Thanks to fire crews from over 12 agencies for their hard work during Initial Attack on #DeerCreekCanyonParkFire Thursday evening pic.twitter.com/IDfbMkWdqP
— ICFPD (@ICFPD) August 16, 2019
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JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. – At least two evacuation orders were in place for residents in Jefferson County as a wildfire continued to burn in the area well into the night Thursday.
The first batch of citizens were evacuated just before 5:30 p.m. as the fire burned near the bottom of Deer Creek Park, near Grizzly Drive and Bear Claw Drives. Deer Creek Canyon Park, South Valley and Hildebrand Ranch parks were all closed and an emergency alert was sent to people in the area to evacuate via Cougar Drive, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
Just before 8:30 p.m., a second evacuation order was issued for people living along Samson Road, Mill Hollow Road, Sunburst and Hunter’s Ridge. The sheriff’s office urged residents in those areas to leave their homes immediately as the blaze was not yet contained or controlled, according to fire officials.
In total, 328 homes were affected, but officials said during a 9 p.m. news conference that no structures had been lost and no homes were threatened by the fire.
Evacuees can go to the Ken Caryl Ranch House, located at 767 S. Continental Divide Road in Littleton. Residents with large animals are told to go to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds.
Video showed that fire crews were on-scene at 5:15 p.m. and working to battle the fire with a water cannon. There is a fire station located nearby, and the sheriff’s office said a helicopter was en route to assist at 5:20 p.m.
A total of five agencies were assisting the fire protection district to put out the wildlife, the fire protection district official said.
The fire is 13.5 acres in size.
More than 100 firefighters are fighting the blaze.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
