(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Two close calls in Colorado Springs and Pueblo are serving as a reminder of how volatile winds can be when fire danger is high.
The Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) responded to a grass fire at Bear Creek Park on Friday, Feb. 7 that the department said could have easily spread into a wildfire with the high wind conditions.
According to CSFD, crews responded to a grass fire shortly after 1:15 p.m. at the park, and found that it had been sparked by people cooking in a charcoal grill. CSFD said the grill was under a pavilion, but the high winds kicked up embers and carried them to a nearby bush and some grasses.
Courtesy: Colorado Springs Fire Department
While this one burned bush may not look like much, CSFD said anyone who walked outside on Friday would know why it could have been much worse.
“Today is NOT the day to be doing any outdoor burning,” CSFD said in a social media post. “Luckily our crews responded quickly and extinguished this fire before it spread further.”
Also on Friday, firefighters with the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Emergency Services and Rye Fire responded to a brush fire in the 8000 block of Crow Cutoff, north of Colorado City. PCSO said the fire reignited from a controlled burn two-four days prior, due to the 40-50 mph gusts. Crews managed to get the fire knocked down after it burned about half an acre.
Even though the winds were not dangerous when the controlled burn took place, PCSO reminds the community of the need to be vigilant at all times.
“Property owners are reminded if they do a controlled burn, make sure the fire is completely out before they leave it,” PCSO said.
