FORT CARSON – A wildfire that started on Fort Carson spread off the Army post amid dry, windy weather Friday, destroying an unknown number of structures and forcing the evacuation of nearby residents in southern Colorado.
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that buildings had been destroyed but did not say how many or what type.
At least 100 people were told to evacuate in Pueblo County, and an unknown number of homes were evacuated in neighboring El Paso County. Students at an elementary school in Fountain were also evacuated as precaution.
The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office said the Carson Midway Fire had burned about 3 square miles.
The Colorado Springs Gazette reported that Fort Carson told the Federal Aviation Administration a training exercise was planned Friday including an aerial gunner, but it was unclear whether the exercise took place.
El Paso County officials said Fort Carson was in charge of fighting the fire. A post spokeswoman did not immediately return phone messages.
Sustained winds were blowing 20 to 30 miles per hour, National Weather Service meteorologist Eric Petersen said. Gusts reached nearly 40 mph.
Petersen says humidity was only about 7 to 10 percent.
