Officials confirm at least 104 homes lost as Spring Fire grows to 60,710 acres

Fire bosses now say the Spring Fire has burned an estimated 60,710 acres and containment has been downgraded from 10 percent to 5 percent due to new growth from the fire. The news comes as mandatory evacuations were expanded further north into Huerfano County Monday. The Huerfano County Office of Emergency Management says all residents in the area north of County Road 362 to the county line should evacuate now. That area includes the the School Creek, Wahotoya Valley, Little Kansas, and East Spanish Peaks communities, the area known as the “Mesa,” as well as the west side of Shangri La. An earlier mandatory evacuation notice was sent out for the Chama, Redwing, Malachite, and Badito areas south of Highway 69. Officials also reopened Colorado Highway 69 a little before 9 p.m. following an hours-long closure between the Custer County line and 5 miles west of Walsenburg Monday afternoon. Evacuees from Huerfano County should go to the Red Cross Shelter in Walsenburg at 928 Russell Street Walsenburg, CO 81089. The town of Gardner remains on pre-evacuation status, after emergency officials mistakenly said it was under mandatory evacuation orders Monday afternoon...MORE