(SOUTHERN COLORADO) — Pre-evacuations have been issued for the towns of Arlington and Haswell in Kiowa County due to a wildfire moving northeast from Otero County.

Kiowa County posted about the fire around 3:30 p.m. and said the towns of Haswell and Arlington along Highway 96 were under pre-evacuation. Watch Duty is reporting the fire has burned over 3,000 acres near County Road 31, west of Horse Creek Reservoir.

Courtesy: Watch Duty

SWIFT-911 is the reverse 911 alert system Kiowa County uses to notify residents regarding emergency information, locals should follow any instructions from law enforcement, and be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice. You can sign up for SWIFT 911 by clicking here.

The Colorado State Patrol (CSP) La Junta and Lamar troop is asking local drivers to avoid County Lane 31 (Otero County Road 31) between Highway 96 and Cheraw to allow crews to respond to the fire. CSP also asks that drivers avoid Otero County Road 36 as the fire is heading east toward the road.

High winds are making fire danger extremely high, so if you need extra time to evacuate, you should consider leaving now.