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Highland Lakes Fire expands to 90 acres; Teller County Sheriff Says 700 Homes Are Threatened
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Highland Lakes Fire expands to 90 acres; Teller County Sheriff Says 700 Homes Are Threatened

UPDATE: Officials provided several updates on the wildfire near Divide Monday evening.

The Teller County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) said the fire has been named the Highland Lakes Fire. It covers 90 acres and threatens 700 homes. One home has been lost so far, but no injuries have been reported.

Citizens should avoid County Road 5 because it is inaccessible, TCSO said.

The sheriff also said the fire was human-caused, but added that because the investigation was ongoing, he would not release further details. However, when asked at the last press briefing, he replied that we were “dealing with criminal charges…”

Woodland Park Community Church will be used as an evacuation center.

Monday evening, the TCSO also declared a Level 3 fire ban. This means no swidden burning, outdoor fires, outdoor cooking, outdoor smoking, outdoor welding, fires fireworks, model rockets, explosives or recreational shooting. The sheriff’s office said hunters in the backcountry, away from the fire, would be allowed to continue hunting. This is currently the second rifle hunting season for both elk and deer.

THE Woodland Park School District also announced Monday evening that due to the fire, the Summit and Columbine campuses would be closed Tuesday. The secondary campus will operate remotely and students will be required to log in for online learning. Families who cannot access school online should notify their teacher and their absence will be excused, the school district said.

Evacuation information can be found below.

DIVIDE, Colo. (KRDO) – The Teller County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) issued an evacuation order for people living near Beaver Lake Circle in Divide late Monday afternoon.

According to the TCSO, the order now includes the Highland Lakes Subdivision. People living on Alpine View, Star View Trail, Beaver Lake Place, Beaver Lake Circle and Golden Bell Lane due to a structure fire near Beaver Lake Circle are also subject to mandatory evacuation.

The evacuation order also extends east of the Highland Lakes subdivision. The closest major intersection is Cedar Mountain Road to Golden Bell. Everyone from County Road 51 in Golden Bell north and east to County Road 5 should evacuate.

Later Monday night, TCSO also issued a pre-evacuation warning for County Road 5. This includes the Aspen Moor and Spring Valley subdivisions, County Road 51 on both sides of the road from County Road 5 to County Road 512, County Road 5 south of County Road. 51 on the west side only, to include the Grandview subdivision. County Road 5 north of County Road 51 on both sides to Forest Service Road 357.