| Contacts: | Wetmore Fire Information 719-582-8448 |
WETMORE FIRE 15 PERCENT CONTAINED (10-24-12)
Wetmore, Colo., Oct 24, 2012 (9:15 PM) – The Wetmore Fire, burning in grass, Ponderosa Pine and Oak Brush, has burned approximately 2,100 acres one mile west of Wetmore. One hundred sixty firefighters from 16+ agencies are working as a team to fight the fire.
All 14 structures that have been confirmed to have fire damage or loss are in Custer County.
Less extreme winds enabled air resources to fly Wednesday.
There are an estimated 386 residents evacuated according to Custer county Sheriff Fred Jobe. The evacuations remain in effect for Greenwood, Wetmore, and east of Wetmore. Reverse 911 was utilized, however due to fire damage of utility lines, a multi-agency, house-to-house notification was implemented. Evacuated parties are being referred to Baptist Church at 303 E. 3rd Street in Florence. The Pueblo center has been closed.
All Residents east of Siloam Rd and south of County Road 3251 in Pueblo County are allowed back home as of 3:30 pm Wednesday.
Colorado 96 is closed westbound from Siloam Road to Wetmore. Eastbound from Colorado Highway 96 at County Road 387 to Wetmore is closed. Colorado 67 is closed southbound from County Road 15 to Wetmore.
A Type 2 Incident Management Team will be briefed at 6.00 p.m. tonight and will take over management of the fires at 6.00 a.m. Thursday the 25th.
Large Animals are being referred to Pathfinder Park in Canon City, Cross Roads Event Center in Penrose Co. or the Colorado State Fairgrounds in Pueblo. Los Piños Equestrian Center and Purple Heart Ranch, 109 Yucca Ave., Florence (970) 846- 6880 is taking livestock. Also Contact Eskridge Veterinary at 719-240-6880 for help with domestic animals.
Evacuee meetings:
Thursday 25th Octotober 2012 at 1:00 at Baptist Church, Florence
Disaster Recovery Information Center– One stop resource for victims will include insurance and other programs to help with recovery.
Friday October 26th from 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. and
Saturday October 27th from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at Wetmore Volunteer Fire Station, 200 County Road 290.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
3028 E Main Street Canon City, CO 81212