Areas west of Leadville, Colorado placed under pre-evacuation notice
On Saturday, Colorado officials placed residents between the Willow Fire and Leadville under pre-evacuation status.
The Lake County Sheriff's Office says the move is out of an abundance of caution. The pre-evacuation notice includes all areas inside Zone 9, which runs along Highway 24 to just north of County Road 36 and west to County Road 5.
Areas inside Zone 9 include:
- The area south of Baby Doe Dr.
- The southern half of McWethy from U.S. Highway 24 to County Road 4
- Community Field & Rodeo Grounds
- First Presbyterian Church
- Dutch Henry Hill
- Leadville Sanitation District Office
- Stringtown
- County Roads 9, 31, 36, 36A, and 39
- Elm Street west of McWethy
- Rodeway Inn
- Leadville Carwash
- Saturday's Mercantile
The sheriff's office says deputies and members of Lake County Search and Rescue are going door-to-door to notify residents and answer questions. Residents under the pre-evacuation notice should begin gathering essential items, make plans for family and pets, and stay alert for updates from official sources.
Zone 9 is not under a mandatory evacuation order yet. Updates on evacuation zones are available on the Lake County OEM's map.
The decision was made after evaluating the Willow Fire's current behavior, weather, terrain and access routes, the LCSO said. They added that crews are planning to work on structural protection in the affected neighborhoods as needed.
The Willow Fire is currently estimated to be around 3,090 acres and has reached 1% containment.
In an operational update on Saturday morning, officials said crews are making progress in protecting structures west of Leadville as they finish installing pumps and hoses.
Some spot fires have formed in the northern area of the Willow Fire towards Turquoise Lake, and there has been increased growth along the southern edge of the fire.