High winds and hot, dry temperatures caused the wildfire along Colorado 115 to grow by almost 100 acres on Saturday as at least three southern Colorado cities broke all-time monthly highs for the second time in two days.
The conditions posed a challenge to crews on the ground for a fire that has already proved to be volatile after ripping through initial containment lines Thursday afternoon. Burning on Fort Carson property south of Colorado Springs, the 24 fire had scorched 1,126 acres with no containment as of late Saturday afternoon, officials said.
Firefighters reported that they had contained 50% of the blaze on Thursday, when it was 80 acres in size, but it jumped the containment line. No injuries or property damage have been reported.
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office issued a pre-evacuation warning for the Sandy Creek Ranch Heights area near the highway Saturday evening. The area is northeast of the fire.
The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office said in a Saturday morning update that evacuation and pre-evacuation orders still remain. Colorado 115 is still closed.
Fort Carson officials on Saturday did not specify in which direction the fire seemed to be spreading, but they said during a Friday evening news conference that they were trying to stop it from crossing Colorado 115 to the west.
Satellite imagery from the National Interagency Fire Center showed the fire moving south toward Penrose Friday, but winds can change the blaze’s direction and make it unpredictable.
A map of the evacuation area (inner circle) and pre-evacuation area (outer circle) due to a fire on Fort Carson near Colorado 115 in Fremont County on Friday, March 20. (Courtesy of the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office)
Crews were working to secure the fire’s perimeter as they monitor and put out hot spots, according a Saturday morning update from Fort Carson.
Two aircraft were carrying water pulled from Lake Pueblo to help combat the flames, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Dean Miller.
Temperatures could break monthly highs for April
After breaking March’s all-time monthly high for Colorado Springs, Pueblo and Alamosa Friday, National Weather Service data showed that the records were broken again Saturday for all three cities:
Colorado Springs broke the monthly high of 81 by at least 5 degrees.
Pueblo broke the monthly high of 89 by at least 2 degrees.
Alamosa broke the monthly high of 79 by at least 2 degrees.
All-time monthly highs for April. (Courtesy of National Weather Service)
The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning along Interstate 25 and areas west of it until 11 p.m. Saturday. Along with a red flag warning, El Paso County is under a burn restriction.
Fort Carson officials just announced high winds hot temperatures have caused the 24 fire along Colorado 115 to grow to 1,126 acres with 0% containment. There are 125 firefighters from several agencies battling the blaze. pic.twitter.com/sGufeab3zv
— Nick Smith (@_nsmith_35) March 21, 2026
Jaclyn Ehr, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said it’s too early to tell if there will be smoke concerns in the near future, adding it would depend on what fire activity looked like Saturday.
The smoke “increased rapidly” throughout Saturday afternoon, according to a social media post from the Colorado Springs Fire Department. The Fire Department said it heard reports of smoke and ash falling on Security-Widefield neighborhoods.
“While this is understandably alarming — especially for those who remember past fires — please know that at this time, there is no immediate threat to our community,” the Fire Department wrote in the post.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reported “good” air quality in Colorado Springs, Pueblo and Cañon City as of noon Saturday.
For those who are smoke sensitive, officials recommend to stay inside.
Ehr said a cold front will come through early Sunday, knocking temperatures down into the 70s.
“But that’s still around 15 degrees warmer than normal,” she said.
An airplane drops suppressant on a wildfire in Costilla County. (Courtesy of Costilla County OEM)
EVACUATION CENTER
The authorities established an evacuation center at Pathfinder Park in Florence. Residents needing assistance, including support for pets and livestock, are encouraged to report there and speak with a Red Cross or Community Animal Response Team (CART) representative.
For additional information, call the Emergency Operations Center hotline at 719-276-7421.