Quickly growing Meridian fire prompts evacuations in Colorado Springs
The Meridian fire sparked 1 p.m. east of the Colorado Springs airport before growing 4,000 acres by 3:30 p.m.
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A fast-moving wildfire reportedly destroyed one structure and prompted evacuations east of Colorado Springs on Thursday as a second fire near Garden of Gods crept within feet of homes before firefighters quickly contained it.
The Meridian fire is currently burning about 3,000 acres east of Schriever Space Force Base, officials with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said about 6 p.m. Thursday. The fire, which sparked at about 1 p.m., was 30% contained as of 6 p.m., the sheriff’s office said.
One structure has burned but no injuries have been reported, according to multiple news outlets, citing a sheriff’s spokesperson.
Mandatory evacuation orders were initially issued for an area bounded by Davis Road to the north, Enoch Road to the east and Franceville Coal Mine Road to the west and the southern edge of Schriever to the south, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said in posts on X.
All mandatory evacuations have been reduced to voluntary evacuations with the exception of residents along Blaney Road, Hammer Ranch Road and Franceville Coal Mine Road south of Highway 94.
The Red Cross has opened an evacuation center for evacuated residents at Patriot High School in Peyton at 11990 Swingline Road.
Highway 94 is closed from Marksheffel to Curtis roads, with no estimated time for reopening.
Firefighters responded to the fire at South Meridian and Drennan roads, about 9 miles east of the Colorado Springs Airport, the sheriff’s office said on X.
About two hours after the Meridian fire sparked, firefighters were called to a fire near Garden of the Gods that grew to 20 acres before it was fully contained, the city’s fire department said.
About 40 firefighters helped keep the fire from reaching homes, the department said. Flames crept up to the fences of three homes but none was destroyed.
Garden of the Gods park was not impacted, but the Palmer Mesa Trail is closed at Sinton Trail, the department said.
This is a developing news story that will be updated.
