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As firefighters battled a small grass fire northeast of Colorado Springs, neighboring fire departments remained on high alert.
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — A quick-moving grass fire came dangerously close to homes near Black Forest Saturday afternoon, briefly prompting evacuations in the area as firefighters worked to contain the fire.
They did so while battling strong winds that prompted a Red Flag Warning across much of the region.
That fire was quickly contained, but not before burning several acres and nearly surrounding at least one home, which was saved.
Forty miles to the north, strong winds rattled the flag outside South Metro Fire Station 39, where the warning sign was set to the “Very High” level.
“Everybody’s kind of on pins and needles waiting for the call to come in on a day like today,” said South Metro Fire Rescue spokesperson Eric Hurst.
Hurst said despite the snow on the ground and the cooler temperatures, this time of year can be a dangerous one for fires.
Of the 19 Red Flag Warnings issued in the region in 2023, 16 came before June 1.
“Wind is one of the factors that goes into a Red Flag Warning, low humidity is the other one, and with that low humidity means that the fuel moisture is very low,” said Hurst. “Leading up to the spring green-up along the Front Range, the fuels are all dormant so the grass is very receptive to fire, and if a fire does start not only is it really dry, but it’s being pushed by the wind, and so those fires can spread a lot faster than they would on a typical day.”
The Red Flag Warning is set to expire at 7 p.m. Saturday.
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