COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A wildfire broke out Tuesday morning near Kruger Rock in Estes Park and burned more than 100 acres of forest by early Tuesday afternoon, according to the Larimer County Sheriff's Office.
"Homes are being threatened as of right now. We have not had any reports of damage to homes. Our fire crews are doing a really good job of structure protection and trying their best to ensure that those homes stay safe," said David Moore, a spokesman for the sheriff's office.
The fire was reported just before 7 a.m., according to the sheriff's office. Winds could reach up to 46 mph Tuesday, the National Weather Service predicted.
The sheriff's office upgraded evacuation statuses to "mandatory evacuations" for the area of Meadowdale and south to the Boulder County line, which includes Big Elk Meadows and Pinewood Springs west of U.S. 36 due to "immediate and imminent danger" and encouraged resident to leave as quickly as possible without gathering belongings.
The sheriff's office also issued mandatory evacuations for the area of Little Valley, Fish Creek and Hermit Park.
Facebook posts from people in the area showed flames and smoke on a hillside above homes, but the protection district said no homes had been lost.
Emergency responders set up evacuation sites at the Estes Park Event Center, the communications center said.
U.S. 36 is closed between Mall Road in Estes park and Apple Valley Road west of Lyons.
The cause of the fire is unknown, the Larimer County Sheriff's Office said.
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