COLORADO SPRINGS, Co. – U.S. Air Force Academy staff and students are on alert after a grassfire started Sunday, fueled by whipping winds on Academy grounds in Colorado.
U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) and U.S. Forest Service crews responded to the blaze around 1 p.m. Sunday.
Air Force Academy officials said the fire was estimated to be 150 acres and started west of the Pine Housing area. A current containment estimate was not available on Monday morning, according to CSFD.
A Fire Weather Warning is in place through Monday evening for El Paso County, Colorado, including Colorado Springs.
Relative humidity around 13% and gusty winds between 20 and 30 mph have created dangerous fire weather conditions, easily allowing a spark to spread quickly. On Monday, the forecast high was in the 60s with west-southwesterly winds occasionally gusting over 40 mph.
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“We appreciate the work and coordination with the Colorado Springs Fire Department and the U.S. Forest Service in fighting this fire. We’ll continue to watch the fire through the night and work with our partners to contain and extinguish it to keep the Academy and our people safe,” 10th Air Base Wing Col. Dan Werner said.
When the fire started on Sunday, pre-evacuation notices were given to Pine Valley and Douglass Valley residents. However, no residents have been ordered to evacuate.
“Should an evacuation be directed, Hunt Housing and Academy first responders will notify residents,” Academy officials said.
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As of Monday morning, the fire was not threatening any structures, and U.S. Air Force Academy crews continued to monitor the blaze.
Two helicopters from Fort Carson are coming to assist with water dumps on the fire.
The academy said its facility and Visitor Center are closed to the public during the firefight. As of Monday morning, the campus is only open to Department of Defense ID cardholders and contractors.