Grass fire in Colorado Springs forces closure of street on a red flag warning day
Galley Road was closed Monday while the Colorado Springs Fire Department responded to a grass fire, according to a social media post.
The Fire Department said on X at about noon that all lanes of Galley were closed near Circle Drive, on the city’s east side. By 1:45 p.m. traffic had reopened in the area after firefighters contained and extinguished the 2-acre fire on an embankment next to Safeway.
The CSFD later posted that the cause of the blaze was a discarded cigarette. Strong winds were a concerning factor for nearby homes, including directly across the street.
“The 911 call center received multiple calls and upon arrival the fire was moving quickly and the wind immediately shifted putting homes in the area at possible risk,” the post said.
Earlier Monday, at around 9 a.m., crews put out a brush fire in Bear Creek Regional Park on the southwest side of the city. The blaze was contained to a 30-foot by 20-foot area.
High fire danger Monday prompted the National Weather Service in Pueblo to issue a red flag warning until 6 p.m. and a high wind warning until 5 p.m.
“Much of the region will be under both a high wind warning and a red flag warning today,” Meteorologist Alan Rose with Gazette news partner KOAA said. “Peak gusts on the I-25 corridor are expected to range between 40-50 mph, with gusts to 60 mph on the eastern Plains, and gusts to 70 mph in the mountains.”
The Fire Department on Monday asked residents to not burn outside at all after the agency said it responded to multiple grass fires over the recent weekend. Officials warned that Monday’s conditions could make putting out fires especially difficult.
The expected high temperature Monday is 48, Rose said. A cold front will allow for a significant drop in temperatures during the midweek period. Highs in Colorado Springs on Tuesday and Wednesday will only warm into the 30s, with overnight lows in the teens.
Grass fire in Colorado Springs forces closure of street on a red flag warning day
Galley Road was closed Monday while the Colorado Springs Fire Department responded to a grass fire, according to a social media post.
The Fire Department said on X at about noon that all lanes of Galley were closed near Circle Drive, on the city’s east side. By 1:45 p.m. traffic had reopened in the area after firefighters contained and extinguished the 2-acre fire on an embankment next to Safeway.
The CSFD later posted that the cause of the blaze was a discarded cigarette. Strong winds were a concerning factor for nearby homes, including directly across the street.
“The 911 call center received multiple calls and upon arrival the fire was moving quickly and the wind immediately shifted putting homes in the area at possible risk,” the post said.
Earlier Monday, at around 9 a.m., crews put out a brush fire in Bear Creek Regional Park on the southwest side of the city. The blaze was contained to a 30-foot by 20-foot area.
High fire danger Monday prompted the National Weather Service in Pueblo to issue a red flag warning until 6 p.m. and a high wind warning until 5 p.m.
“Much of the region will be under both a high wind warning and a red flag warning today,” Meteorologist Alan Rose with Gazette news partner KOAA said. “Peak gusts on the I-25 corridor are expected to range between 40-50 mph, with gusts to 60 mph on the eastern Plains, and gusts to 70 mph in the mountains.”
The Fire Department on Monday asked residents to not burn outside at all after the agency said it responded to multiple grass fires over the recent weekend. Officials warned that Monday’s conditions could make putting out fires especially difficult.
The expected high temperature Monday is 48, Rose said. A cold front will allow for a significant drop in temperatures during the midweek period. Highs in Colorado Springs on Tuesday and Wednesday will only warm into the 30s, with overnight lows in the teens.