Wildfire In Poudre Canyon Puts Residents On Standby

LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - Approximately 40 firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service, Larimer County Emergency Services and local resources have responded to a wildfire near the Hewlett Gulch Trail in Poudre Canyon.

The fire started Monday afternoon on the Canyon Lakes Ranger District of the Roosevelt National Forest. Officials said the fire is estimated at 250 to 280 acres in steep terrain and growing. Smoke can be seen from Fort Collins.

"We know this fire has continued to grow this afternoon," Forest Service spokeswoman Reghan Cloudman said.

Residents from mile marker 110 to 115, a quarter mile north and south of Highway 14 were notified of the fire and should be prepared to evacuate if needed.

A Single Engine Air Tanker (SEAT) has been fighting the fire. Cloudman said many more resources have been ordered to fight the fire, including four 20-person crews, a Type 1 helicopter, and a heavy air tanker.

Structures are located near the fire, but none are immediately threatened.

The Hewlett Gulch Trail and the Greyrock Trail are both closed.

Around 5 p.m. the fire started getting close to an area called Poudre Park with about 30 homes. CBS4's Ty Brennan talked to a resident who was spraying his house with water. He said didn't want to take any chances as he saw the fire starting to make its way down a hill towards his house.

"Not this close, not this close," resident Boots Jaffee said. "A few years back, a little farther to the west there was a fire and it never even made it into our view, we could just see smoke. But seeing those hillsides exploding and the horrible red flames is not a nice thing to see."

A woman in the same area told CBS4 she was packing up valuables and pets, getting prepared to evacuate.

"This is the third fire I've seen but I think this is the closest that I've ever seen it to my home," she said. "Just common sense to me is dictating to get my things and my animals and leave."

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