Vision Hills fire northeast of Pueblo reaches 100% containment
Editors Note: This story was updated Monday afternoon to include a statement from Evraz North America.
The Vision Hills Fire is now 100% contained, according to the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office.
The fire has burned 107 acres northeast of Pueblo. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The fire began around 10:30 a.m. Friday, burning brush east of Fountain Creek and west of Jerry Murphy Road where it turns into Overton Road.
The fire forced evacuations for residents of about 25 homes, a half-mile north of 1945 Overton Road, but those evacuations were lifted Saturday morning. Those areas remained on pre-evacuation notice until just after 6 p.m. Saturday, when the sheriff's office announced that all evacuation warnings on Overton Road had been lifted.
Numerous fire crews responded to the fire, and air resources assisted in the extensive firefighting operations.
Road closures due to the Vision Hills Fire included north and southbound Jerry Murphy Road/Overton Road from Bluestem to Pinon Road, and east and westbound Vision Hills Parkway from Jerry Murphy Road to Castor Drive. Those roads reopened Saturday.
Because of the smoke from the Evraz and Vision Hills fires, the Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment issued a public health alert for air quality. In the advisory, the health department recommended residents stay indoors and avoid outdoor activities through Sunday, April 7. The air quality advisory is now lifted.
Agencies that responded to the Vision Hills Fire included the Pueblo Fire Department, Pueblo County Emergency Services Division Fire, Pueblo Rural Fire Department, Beulah Fire Department, Rye Fire Protection District, West Park Fire Department, Hanover Fire Protection District, Pueblo Chemical Depot, Pueblo County Roads and Bridges Division of Fire Protection and Control and AMR.
Evraz fire 100% contained
Meanwhile, a fire at Evraz North America was 100% contained as of Sunday afternoon after destroying "multiple buildings," according to Pueblo Mayor Heather Graham. Evraz had not yet provided an update as of Monday morning.
Jurisdiction of the fire was transferred back to Evraz after reaching 100% containment.
In a written statement Friday, an Evraz spokesperson said the fire began in a building primarily used for staging and storage.
“All employees were immediately and safely evacuated, and all have been accounted for,” the spokesperson said.
Residents in the area surrounding the Evraz mill were instructed to shelter in place Friday evening, but that shelter-in-place order was no longer in effect Saturday, according to city representatives.
In a statement released late Monday, Evraz officials said the fire was 100% contained by Friday night and was limited to the storage building and surrounding area. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The fire did not impact steelmaking operations or the onsite rolling mills. The incident will notimpact the company's ability to fulfill customer orders on time as mill operations restarted onSunday, April 7, following a 36-hour pause, the statement reported.
The fire also did not affect the construction of the new state-of-the-art long rail mill at the Evraz site.
The company statement indicated Evraz officials worked closely with local, state and federal health officials on testing smoke from the fire to ensure there was no threat to public health. A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency news release, indicated “first responders determined that there were no hazardous substances involved with the fire," after a number of air quality tests.
In a letter to the community, James "Skip" Herald, president and chief executive officer of Evraz North America,expressed appreciation for the collective efforts of firefighting professionals, local authorities,and various agencies in ensuring the safety of the community.
"We are deeply appreciative of the dedicated efforts of all involved in swiftly addressing the situation andsafeguarding our employees and community," Herald said.
More: Evraz fire 100% contained, but fire danger remains with high winds expected in Pueblo
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This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Vision Hills fire northeast of Pueblo reaches 100% containment
