Heavy Smoke Forces Red Cross To Close Evacuation Shelter
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) - Heavy smoke coming from the Black Forest Fire northeast of Colorado Springs has forced the American Red Cross to close one of their evacuation shelters.
Red Cross officials said 73 residents slept in several different shelters Tuesday night after the Black Forest Fire and two other large fires further south broke out.
The shelter at New Life Church in Colorado Springs that was set up after the fire broke out on Tuesday is now closed due to the smoke, which could cause health problems for some people. Evacuees in that area are now encouraged to go to Palmer Ridge High School in Monument instead. The school is located at 19225 Monument Hill Road.
Thousands of residents remained evacuated because of the Black Forest Fire on Wednesday afternoon and some evacuations remained in effect in the Canon City area due to the Royal Gorge Fire. An evacuation shelter that was set up after a fire broke out on Tuesday near Walsenburg was closed.
There might be more people sleeping at Red Cross shelters on Wednesday night. Red Cross officials sent out a tweet that said hundreds of Boy Scouts were evacuated from a camp in Elbert County and arrived at the shelter the Red Cross has set up at the Elbert County Fairgrounds in Kiowa.
Additional Resources
You can make a donation to Red Cross Disaster Relief at www.redcross.org or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS.
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