The tranquility of Teller County was disrupted as the Highland Lake Fire blazed through nearly 100 acres near Divide, causing the evacuation of around 700 homes. As of late Monday, the relentless fire was reported at 97 acres and remained 0% contained. Teller County Sheriff's Office confirmed that affected areas include the neighborhoods of Alpine View, Aspen Village, Beaver Lake Circle, Beaver Lake Place, Broken Wheel, Cedar Mountain North to Golden Bell, Snowhill, Star View Trail, and Wayward Wind, which were placed under a mandatory evacuation order beginning 7 p.m., as reported by Denver7.
Escaping from nature's furies, the residents found haven in the Woodland Park Community Church, where a shelter has been set up at 800 Valley View Drive. As the blaze transitioned from grass to dense trees, Teller County officials took action, declaring a disaster emergency, and reached out to Gov. Jared Polis seeking state assistance. The high winds, which helped the fire's rapid expansion, also hindered firefighting efforts from the air on Monday evening, as aircraft support was grounded, as detailed by The Denver Post.
In parallel efforts to suppress the wildfire's potency, Teller County took a stricter stance on fire prevention, escalating to a Stage 3 fire ban. This prohibits open burning on both private and public land in the wake of the current fire catastrophe, according to The Gazette. The heightened regulations reflect a community bracing for a fight against an all too familiar adversary in a season where the landscape turns into a tinderbox.
As the community grapples with the blaze, authorities advocate for preparedness and alert, issuing pre-evacuation warnings to areas including Aspen Moor subdivision, Buck Lake Drive, Copper Lake Drive, County Road 5, County Road 51, County Road 52, Forest Service Road 357, Grandview subdivision, and Spring Valley subdivision. The Highland Lake Fire's proximity to these areas poses uncertainty and risk, yet the spirit of the community remains resilient, albeit currently scattered by the forced separations to safer grounds as outlined by the Denver7.
