Rampart fire burns 20 acres west of Colorado Springs, crews continue work

Apr. 11—The Rampart fire that sparked Tuesday afternoon and caused short-term pre-evacuations near Rampart Range Road remains at 20 acres Tuesday night as crews prepare to monitor the fire overnight.

Engines will patrol and secure the edges of the fire after fire activity decreased late Tuesday afternoon, according to an update from the U.S. Forest Service. Additional resources have been asked to assist suppression efforts Wednesday.

The Rampart fire is burning in the Waldo Canyon Burn Scar with grass and ponderosa pine fueling the blaze, according to a Tuesday update from the U.S. Forest Service, which is leading the firefighting effort.

"Fire activity has settled some and smoke coming from the fire is lighter," the U.S. Forest Service said in an update around 5 p.m.

At 5:30 p.m., the Forest Service said crews had placed a fire hose all the way around the fire. They were using water to contain the 20-acre fire by cooling its edges.

A single-engine air tanker was on the scene with water drops Tuesday to assist firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service and numerous departments in Teller County and El Paso County.

The Colorado Springs Fire Department has teamed up with the Monument Fire Department, Manitou Springs Fire Department and Black Forest Fire Department to send five engines with a total of 18 firefighters to assist fire containment efforts off Rampart Range Road, according to spokesman Capt. Mike Smaldino.

The fire, which was reported around 2:30 p.m., is zero percent contained, but there are no structures threatened as of 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Forest Service said in an online update. However, people are asked to avoid the area of the fire burning about 2 1/2 miles southeast of Woodland Park.

This area was burned over 10 years ago by the Waldo Canyon fire, which started June 22, 2012, in the woods off a popular hiking trail about four miles west of Colorado Springs along Ute Pass near U.S. 24. Waldo Canyon eventually exploded in flames, sending up a column of smoke so dense it cast a shadow over half of Colorado Springs.

Before it was declared 100% contained on July 10, the Waldo Canyon fire spread to more than 18,000 acres, killed two people, forced the evacuation of tens of thousands and destroyed 347 homes and buildings.

Residents east of U.S. 24 off Sun Valley Drive from Radiant Court to Village Terrace were under pre-evacuation orders this afternoon until around 3:40 p.m. Click or tap here for more information on the evacuation area. Residents were asked to prepare in case the order became mandatory.

"Only call 911 if you see active flames or a plume of smoke," the Teller County Sheriff's Office said.

As of 3 p.m., units were on the scene of the Rampart fire, which has smoke visible in the area based on images from Lt. Renee Bunting with the Sheriff's Office. The El Paso County Sheriff's Office also reported smoke near Rampart Range Road.

People are asked to stay off Rampart Road and avoid the Rampart intersection with Loy Creek Road as multiple agencies respond to the scene.

The cause of the Rampart fire has not been reported.

Firefighters continue battling the 403 fire that has burned 1,518 acres to the west in Park and Teller counties since last week, with 88% containment as of Tuesday. The Park County Sheriff's Office confirmed last week that the 403 fire was caused by improper disposal of ashes.

The Pikes Peak region experienced record-high temperatures Tuesday. A high of 83 degrees was recorded in Colorado Springs, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Cameron Simcoe, which breaks an April 11 record of 81 degrees in 1982. The region is experiencing light, variable wind from the south, ranging from 10-15 mph.

The Weather Service warns that spotty critical fire conditions are ongoing Tuesday evening with dryness, low humidity and gusty winds across parts of the Interstate 25 corridor. High fire danger is expected across south and southeast Colorado through Thursday as winds pick up amid continued dryness and heat.

The mini heat wave, brought on by a ridge of high pressure over the Rockies, is expected to drop down to temperatures in the 60s and potential light rain by Friday.

So far this month, 11% of April's normal total of 1.45 inches of precipitation has fallen in Colorado Springs. The relatively dry month comes on the heels of one of the driest Marches in history for the Colorado Springs area. Last month, there were 0.08 inches of precipitation, falling well below the normal 0.79.

This is a developing story. Return to gazette.com for updates.