Growing Colorado wildfire puts entire mountain town on pre-evacuation notice
This story is no longer being updated. A lightning-sparked wildfire burning in southwestern Colorado grew significantly Thursday, forcing nearby residents to evacuate and placing an entire mountain town under pre-evacuation. The Elk fire grew by 2,236 acres, or 3.5 square miles, between Thursday and Friday evening. It is burning across 5,763 acres, or 9 square miles, a little more than a mile northwest of Lake City, which is home to about 400 people in the San Juan Mountains. “It will eventually get down right to some of your backyards,” operations section chief Travis Lipp said at a community meeting at the Lake City Community School on Friday night. “We have the plans in place with equipment and supplies needed to pick that fire up when it does come down there.” The wildfire will not come into town as a wall of flames, but flying embers may start spot fires, fire officials said. Lipp and others urged patience and said the fire will continue burning until snow extinguishes it.
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