Improperly extinguished campfire results in residents being evacuated in Northern Colorado

Residents in northern Fort Collins were awoken on Thursday morning by police and firefighters asking them to evacuate.

 "We got a knock at about two or two thirty," said Brandon Goble, a resident who was evacuated. "Right away, we smelled smoke."

Just west of Goble's home, near the intersection of Overland Trail and Vine Drive, firefighters from Poudre Fire Authority were battling a fire that sparked in a pile of wood.

"We arrived to a quarter acre fire," said Josh Woodmansee, battalion chief for PFA.

Woodmansee said the fire was sparked after people did not properly extinguish a camp fire on a Colorado State University property in northern Fort Collins. Embers, blown by strong overnight winds, made their way to a pile of wood that then caught fire.

"As they went to attack the fire, we had heavy winds come in," Woodmansee said.

Goble and his wife quickly gathered their important items, as well as their farm animals, and evacuated the area as quickly as possible.

"The wind was really, really bad. It was so windy that there was dust a smoke everywhere," Goble said. "We got everybody together, got out -- a little chaotic."

Nearby, resident Liz French said she was not evacuated. However, she noticed there were evacuations taking place across the street amid strong winds.

"The winds were crazy ridiculous," French said. "It was very scary because the winds were crazy."

Woodmansee said the overnight fire was a clear example of strong winds not meshing well with the recent lack of precipitation.

"We are experiencing an unusually dry winter," Woodmansee said. "When we have large periods of time where we don't have moisture, the fuel moisture levels continue to decrease, increasing the wildfire risk."

PFA does daily reviews and briefings on weather conditions. Just a matter of hours before the fire in the woodpile, firefighters had been briefed on the threat of the existing weather conditions.

"Even in the winter when it starts to get cold, we still have that potential for wildfire," Woodmansee said.

Woodmansee said this fire was another reminder of why it is so important to make sure you are being safe around fires. He said those who are legally having small campfires should make sure they put enough water on the fire to make sure it is cool to the touch of the hand.  

Fortunately the evacuations were lifted after firefighters were able to quickly gain ground on the fire and knock it down.

"Those guys jumped in right away," Goble said. "The wind was so bad that, if the fire really wanted to do something, I don't know how you would stop that. So, credit to the firefighters."