COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — A grass fire burned about an acre of park land behind Explorer Elementary School last week, and the Colorado Springs Police Department is investigating it as a possible arson.
- Watch News5's coverage of the fire below:
The fire broke out in the park area near Austin Bluffs Parkway and Rangewood Drive. Colorado Springs Fire Department crews extinguished the fire before it reached any homes or the school.
As of Monday evening, police are calling on the community for help, advising people to reach out to the non-emergency line or Crime Stoppers with any information.
Gil Stephens, who walks through Explorer Park nearly every day, was passing by as fire crews worked the scene.
"I look at fires as, it kinda cleans up stuff. But you don't want it near your home. It's a little unnerving. If the wind were blowing this way it could've gone into these homes," said Stephens.
Colorado Springs Fire Captain JJ Halsey said conditions last week created a dangerous environment for fire.
"Last week, the conditions were just perfect, low humidity, high winds, high heat, and the fuels were just ready to burn," said Captain Halsey.
Captain Halsey said fire crews respond to several fire calls every day across the city, and current conditions are reminiscent of some of the most destructive fires in the region's history.
"We've had the Waldo Canyon, (and) Black Forest Fires in our community. The conditions during those fires were really similar to what they are now," said Captain Halsey.
Halsey described the natural grass found across large parts of eastern Colorado Springs and El Paso County in one word, "crunchy."
When walking on dry grass, the crunch underfoot signals just how dry conditions have become. That dryness presents different challenges for how a fire would spread on the east side compared to the west side of the city.
"We train for that. We're ready for that. But it's so dependent on the topography," said Halsey.
Halsey said people using public spaces like parks should be careful not to leave behind any belongings or trash that could spark a fire. Jacob Vigil, who plays Pokémon Go in the park daily, said others need to be better stewards of the land.
"People don't care for the park as much," said Vigil. "Younger kids go here. They should not be graffiti-ing stuff."
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.
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Man caught on camera taking dog from backyard in Colorado Springs
You are asked to reach out to the Colorado Springs Police Department and reference online tracking number 26006588 if you have any information regarding the incident.
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