Meridian fire burning on 3,000 acres east of Colorado Springs is 30% contained
El Paso County officials initially estimated the fire was 4,000 acres, but revised the size to 3,000 acres Thursday night.
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A fast-moving wildfire burning across 3,000 acres east of Colorado Springs was 30% contained Thursday night after destroying one structure and forcing mandatory evacuations, according to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.
Mandatory evacuations for the Meridian fire include Blamey Road south of Colorado 94, Hammer Ranch Road and Franceville Coal Mine Road, sheriff’s officials said at 6 p.m.in a post on X.
Areas previously under mandatory evacuation orders are now on voluntary evacuation status, the sheriff’s office said.
El Paso County officials initially estimated the fire was 4,000 acres, but revised the size to 3,000 acres Thursday night.
Colorado Springs Fire Department crews first responded to the fire near Drennan and South Meridian roads at around 1 p.m., the agency said in a post on X.
That intersection is less than 9 miles east of the Colorado Springs Airport.
The fire was burning north toward Colorado 94 and it’s not clear if flames jumped the highway, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Kurt Smith at a briefing just before 4 p.m.
“Right now we’re working on stopping the fire from moving and keeping structures that are threatened from catching fire,” he said.
No injuries have been reported and the cause of the fire is unknown.
Colorado 94 is closed in both directions between Marksheffel Road and Blaney Road, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Nonessential employees were released from Schriever Space Force Base but the base is not threatened by the wildfire and not required to evacuate, officials said in a news release.
A second fire near Garden of the Gods pulled Colorado Springs crews from the Meridian fire, but firefighters are getting “a good knock down” on the second fire as of 3:42 p.m., the agency said in a post on X.
Firefighters from El Paso County, Cimarron Hills, Peyton and Schriever are fighting the Meridian fire, Smith said.
El Paso and Teller County residents can sign up for emergency alerts online.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
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