Wildfire In Teller County Grows To Over 1,500 Acres

(CBS4) - A wildfire west of Cripple Creek in Teller County has grown to over 1,500 acres. It is now listed at 1,558 acres, or nearly 2.5 square miles.

It's called the High Park Fire, and that's not to be confused with the destructive wildfire with the same name that destroyed 259 homes in Larimer County in June 2012.

The 2022 High Park Fire hasn't damaged any properties, but wildland firefighting crews are working hard to prevent its spread with helicopters dropping water and retardant. Crew on the ground are also digging fire lines.

The wildfire is 27% contained and 180 personnel are currently working on the blaze. Some areas remain under evacuation orders, including Cripple Creek Ranches and the Lakemoor subdivision.

On Monday morning the Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team One described it as a wildfire that still remains very dangerous and one that has the potential for further expansion: "Fuels are critically dry, and the fire wants to grow in any direction, following slope, wind and fuels."

Teller County is currently under stage 2 fire restrictions and on Monday the area where the fire is burning will be under a Red Flag Warning.