EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KOAA) — Red flag warnings and the wind that prompts them are making ranchers in eastern El Paso County nervous and at the same time the wind is causing damage.
"We had about 50-60 mile an hour winds out of the south turn this shed into a parachute," said rancher Peter Barrett.
The wind snapped a post and bent a fence behind it. The winds are still blowing, so the job of up-righting the shed can't wait for another day. Major bolts go in to counter the power of the wind.
"We got her flipped back over and getting it anchored good for south wind as well," said Barrett.
Just across a field, a windmill damaged by wind also needs repair.
"It's crazy to think we lost a windmill. I mean something that is literally built for the wind and we had one just shear off this morning in the wind gusts," said Carrie Terroux-Barrett, who leads the Colorado Horse Rescue Network.
Wind damage is the lesser of two concerns at the Colorado Horse Rescue Network. Escalated wildfire risk from wind is top of mind.
"We've been here just shy of two decades, and this is the worst fire danger we've ever had over winter. We just, we've seen no moisture," said Terroux-Barrett.
If a fire starts, time is a major factor in making emergency decisions. There are too many horses and other ranch animals to transport quickly. It means evacuation is not the only emergency plan they consider.
"We want someone to stay close enough to everything to keep an eye on stuff because grass fires out here are so bad and they're moving so quickly. I mean you've got to have somebody home all the time," said Terroux-Barrett.
"Fire can move 50 miles an hour across the prairie," said Barrett.
"We're going to put the disc on the tractor. We're going to create fire breaks. We're going to start watering down the areas that are going to be the most prone to be fire damaged," said Terroux-Barrett.
Fire risk warnings are taken seriously among ranchers.
"You have to take as many safety precautions as possible to prevent any sort of spark and hope that all of your neighbors are doing the same because that's the scary part, is you fall victim to somebody else's carelessness real fast when you have a winter like this," said Terroux-Barrett.
Concern continues through the rest of the week because of ongoing wind warnings.
"This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."
___
After 3 Years and Multiple Fires, This Historic Landmark Is Reopening
The historic Navajo Hogan, a 91-year-old Colorado Springs landmark, is set to reopen next month after being closed since 2021. The new owners talk about the "leap of faith" required to restore the building and honor its unique history.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.