TELLER COUNTY, Colo. — A 128-acre fire that officials believe was caused by people continues to burn near the Douglas County-Teller County line. The Turkey Track Fire was at 30% containment as of Sunday morning.
Around 6 p.m. Saturday, the Teller County Sheriff's Office and Douglas County Sheriff's Office began issuing warnings about a fire in the area of Highway 67 and Rainbow Falls, around the Turkey Track Shooting Area, which is located in Douglas County. This is about eight miles north of Woodland Park.
The fire was not close to any homes, but because of the hot, dry and windy conditions, it spread quickly. According to fire officials, it was caused by humans. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office told our news partner KOAA that it possibly started at the firing range.
Initially, the fire was estimated at 150 acres, but officials confirmed after 11 p.m. that it had burned 128 acres. Officials said it was burning dead and downed logs, grass and shooting trash.
Luke Roberts, a supervisor for the emergency services unit underneath the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, explained on Sunday morning that the county has cameras on all of its radio towers that can detect smoke and alert authorities. That was how officials first learned about the Turkey Track Fire, he said. Last July, Denver7 reported how this technology helped fire crews quickly identify, get to, and contain the Bear Creek Fire in the county.
"As soon as we saw the fire... on our video surveillance system, we let our dispatch know," Roberts said. "We let the Forest Service know, and we started getting resources responding immediately. We also showed up with a brush truck, a type six engine, and they started immediately taking action on the fire."
One of the biggest initial concerns was that the fire would jump to the east side of Highway 67, where some campers were set up at Rainbow Falls campground. As a precaution, they were told to evacuate. The fire did not end up crossing the road as of Sunday morning.
Roberts said authorities ordered the Firehawk from Broomfield to assist, which helped to knock down the fire before crews on the ground could get to the area.
Highway 67, which had temporarily closed for emergency personnel, reopened Saturday evening.
Roberts outlined the plan for Sunday: Strengthen firelines and mop up hotspots with the help of additional crews from Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control.
Sunday will bring more red flag conditions to the area, which he said "will test the firelines," so containment will be reevaluated Sunday evening. Rain and snow are expected later in the day following the winds, but Roberts stressed that people should stay vigilant with anything that can start a fire Sunday.
Roberts explained that training for this sort of emergency is something that crews prep for year-round.
"There's a lot of courses we do in our off-season, you know, winter time, and we prepare for this all year," he said. "And it seems like this fire season is just getting longer and longer."
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