Tuesday, June 18, 2013

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Wetmore Fire spreads, forces evacuations
Posted: 10.23.2012 at 3:15 PM
Updated: 10.23.2012 at 6:10 PM
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A fire in Wetmore has forced the evacuation of more than 300 homes so far.  / Courtesy: Beth Peak
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More than 300 homes have been evacuated

WETMORE, COLO. -- A wildfire that has spread from a structure to brush east of Wetmore has forced more than 300 homes to be evacuated.

According to the Colorado Office of Emergency Management, evacuations have been ordered north of Highway 96 east of Wetmore.

The entire town of Wetmore has been evacuated, as well as 308 homes in Pueblo County.

Evacuees can go to a Red Cross shelter at First Southern Baptist Church in nearby Florence or Church of the Nazarene on Stanford in Pueblo.

Anyone with livestock can take the animals to the Rodeo Grounds on 9th Street in Canon City or the Pueblo State Fairgrounds.

The fire was 600-700 acres acres as of 4:15 p.m. Tuesday and started near the intersection of Highway 96 and Highway 67 around 1 p.m.

The National Weather Service reports the fire burned four miles into western Pueblo County, and winds are gusting at up to 70 mph in the area.

Several structures, including some homes, have burned.

Officials said they don't know how it started but said no one has been hurt so far.

The haze and smoke can be seen from Pueblo, which is just east of the area.

Exactly four months ago Tuesday, the Waldo Canyon Fire began just west of Colorado Springs. That wildfire went on to destroy 345 homes and burn more than 18,000 acres. The city released the initial action report on that fire just a few hours before the Wetmore Fire started.

Click here to see user-submitted photos.

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