Leadville's High Mountain Institute Remains Evacuated Due To Wildfire
By Chris Spears
DENVER (CBS4) - A small wildfire broke out Thursday afternoon near Turquoise Lake, off Lake County Road 5A near Leadville.
Fire crews from nearby Summit County and Chaffee County were called to help along with the U.S. Forest Service.
The flames prompted the evacuation of several residents along County Road 5A as well as students and staff from the High Mountain Institute.
While all residents have been allowed to return home there was still an evacuation order for the institute as of this posting.
The fire has burned a little over an acre and is 90% contained.
With ongoing drought conditions and hot weather expected over the Memorial Day weekend the fire danger is expected to climb.
Fire weather watches and warnings have already been issued for Saturday in the western and southern parts of Colorado.
Wildfire Resources
- Visit CBSDenver.com's Living With Wildfire section.
Wildfire Photo Galleries
- See images from the most destructive wildfires (Black Forest, Waldo Canyon, High Park and Fourmile), the deadliest (Storm King) and largest wildfire (Hayman) in Colorado history.
Meteorologist Chris Spears travels weekly in the CBS4 Mobile Weather Lab reporting about Colorado's weather and climate. Check out his bio, connect with him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter @ChrisCBS4.