East Peak Fire

The East Peak Fire is a forest fire that began east of the East Spanish Peak near La Veta, Colorado at 5:10 PM on Wednesday, June 19, 2013.[3] The fire was originally named the Scout Ranch Fire because the fire was first reported by the Spanish Peaks Scout Ranch.

East Peak Fire
Firefighters putting out burning embers on June 29 to keep the fire from rekindling.
LocationEast side of East Spanish Peak, Huerfano County, Colorado
Coordinates37.454°N 104.904°W / 37.454; -104.904
Statistics[1][2]
Date(s)June 19, 2013 (2013-06-19) – July 9, 2013 (2013-07-09)
Burned area13,572 acres (55 km2)
CauseLightning
Buildings destroyed17
Map
Location of fire in Colorado

Events

The fire was first noticed by a Boy Scout on Wednesday, June 19 at Spanish Peaks Scout Ranch who saw smoke in the distance by the kitchen area of the camp, and a staffer who went closer to investigate and could see visible flames.[4][5] All the Boy Scouts plus staff camping at Spanish Peaks Scout Ranch[6] quickly evacuated the camp because the staff and scouts drill for such events. Many went to the open shelter at John Mall High School in Walsenburg, Colorado where The American Red Cross supplied food and blankets, and some left to go home after staying the night.[3] Troop 369 took a stop at Carl's Jr. to use the bathroom and recollect before going to the high school. Some Boy Scout members had to be rescued by a helicopter due them hiking up a mountain that week.

By the following day the fire had grown to over 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) with zero percent containment. Strong winds resulted in the fire making runs to the east and southeast. The entire town of Walsenburg was placed under pre-evacuation status.[4] On Friday, June 21, officials reported the fire to be 9,000 acres (36 km2) and that at The Spanish Peaks Scout Ranch 9 structures and 4 out-buildings had been destroyed.

On July 9, the fire was contained after burning 13,572 acres (54.92 km2) of land with Walsenburg undamaged.[7]

See also

References
  1. "East Peak Fire". InciWeb. Retrieved 2013-06-23.
  2. Katharina Buchholz (2013-06-23). "East Peak fire gets a controlled burn from firefighters in Colorado". The Denver Post.
  3. "East Peak Fire Update: June 21 #EastPeak". Colorado State DHSEM. 2013-06-21.
  4. Kieran Nicholson (2013-06-20). "East Peak fire at 1,000 acres; 178 Boy Scouts flee, evacuations spread". The Denver Post.
  5. "Scout Ranch Fire". Fox 21 News. June 19, 2013.
  6. "Spanish Peaks Scout Ranch". Santa Fe Trail Council, Boy Scouts of America.
  7. "East Peak Fire fully contained, but not fully controlled". TheDenverChannel.com. 2013-07-09. Archived from the original on 2013-07-12. Retrieved 2013-07-11.
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