Editor's note: This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
This article was updated at 4 p.m. June 25
The Oak Ridge Fire near Beulah grew more than 200 acres on Tuesday afternoon as crews continued to tackle the fire on the ground and through the air.
As of 1:32 p.m. on Tuesday, the wildfire had grown to 495 acres. It grew to 275 acres Monday night and remained that size through the early morning hours Tuesday.
Around 2:30 p.m., there remained zero containment of the fire, said Vidalia Vigil, public information officer for the United States Forest Service.
Residents on Vine Mesa, Cascade Avenue, Pine Avenue and Beulah Highlands Road remained under pre-evacuation notice on Tuesday afternoon, said Jill Laca, spokesperson for Beulah Fire Protection and Ambulance District. Any person residing in the Middle Creek Canyon area was ordered to evacuate on Monday.
Most of the fire's growth on Monday occurred downslope and east to west, and that continued Tuesday, with the west side of the fire showing the most growth, Scott Campbell, incident commander of the Oak Ridge Fire, said Tuesday afternoon.
Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero said Tuesday that the fire has moved into Custer County.
"The directionality is looking a little better, but again, it's unpredictable at this point so it could shift," Lucero said. "That's why we still have the cutoff points."
Crews had been working in multiple areas around the fire throughout Tuesday afternoon and air tankers continued to place retardant on the fire.
Lucero also urged non-Beulah residents to avoid traveling to the area to ensure roads are open for "firefighting efforts" and residents who may need to evacuate.
"Safety and security are our top priority," Lucero said. "We want the public to know that if you are asked to evacuate, please do so without delay. We want to keep everyone safe, including our citizens, law enforcement and firefighters."
Officials are providing updates on the Oak Ridge Fire Facebook page. Evacuation information can be found at puebloemergency.info.
June 25, 8 a.m.
Multiple agencies continued to respond Tuesday to the Oak Ridge Fire located near Beulah that grew to 275 acres on Monday.
Crews held a briefing early Tuesday morning to assess how to tackle the wildfire that ignited Saturday morning and grew incrementally over the weekend before burning well past 100 acres Monday afternoon.
Beulah Fire Protection and Ambulance District reported in a Facebook post on Tuesday that lightening caused the fire.
Campbell said that there was “very little” northern progression towards Panther Creek on Monday. The agencies’ priorities are to scout any potential growth towards the community of Beulah and North Creek, he said.
As of 11 a.m. on Tuesday, the fire remained 275 acres and there had been zero containment of it, Laca said.
More:Smoke and fire map: Oak Ridge Fire near Beulah forces evacuation
The fire was first reported by the United States Forest Service. It is located approximately three miles northwest of Beulah and because of its size, agencies ordered Middle Creek Canyon residents to evacuate on Monday afternoon.
Residents on Vine Mesa, Cascade Avenue, Pine Avenue and Beulah Highlands Road remained under pre-evacuation notice on Tuesday morning, Laca said.
“We’ve got several ground crews as well as air crews that they’re putting on the fire today,” Laca said. “Air resources are starting to show up. They’re just kind of watching to see what the weather will do this afternoon. We’re expecting high heat and low humidity levels on the fire.”
It’s unclear which direction the fire may go if it increases, Laca said. She added that it would depend on “where the winds are at the time.”
“We had a couple different directions going last night,” Laca said. “It’s just starting to kind of stand back up again after being calm overnight, but we don’t really have a direction of where it’s moving right now.”
There were about 20 homes involved in the evacuation order, Laca said. Only one of them has a full-time resident — the rest are seasonal homes, said Gayle Perez, spokesperson for the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office.
Laca could not immediately provide a count on how many people evacuated from the Middle Creek Canyon area.
Laca also said that there was no immediate threat to any structures that she was aware of. Several agencies are patrolling the evacuation area in case the fire gets close to any nearby homes, she said.
An evacuation center is available at the Pueblo County Parks and Recreation Building, located at 1543 Cooper Place. Another is open is St. Charles Mesa Recreation Center at 1650 Cooper Place.
A shelter for livestock is at 4 Bar S, located at 6675 Highway 78.
Due to the Oak Ridge Fire, the Beulah General Store ballot dropbox has been closed as of 12:30 p.m. Tuesday. Beulah residents are asked to use the Lamb Branch Library dropbox at2525 S. Pueblo Blvd. in Pueblo.
For a full list of dropbox locations please visitcounty.pueblo.org.
Chieftain reporter Josué Perez can be reached at JHPerez@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @josuepwrites. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain atsubscribe.chieftain.com.
