A small part of El Paso County is under a pre-evacuation notice due to a new wildfire start located just southwest of Cheyenne Mountain State Park.

Per the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, initial reports of smoke in the area of the blaze came in at 8:15 p.m. on July 7. According to a 1:36 a.m. July 8 update from the Colorado Springs Fire Department, the blaze was estimated to be about five acres in size and burning in heavy fuels. More specifically, the fire was described as located in the area of Rock Creek Canyon Road west of Highway 115, outside of Colorado Springs city limits, with the pre-evacuation area last reported to be a 1.5 mile radius around the fire.

Multiple aerial assets are being used in the fight against the fire, though a 10:30 release from the Colorado Springs Fire Department indicated that a drone in the area was impacting this response. The fire department requested that whoever was flying the drone ground it immediately.

The most recent aerial photos published by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, courtesy of the US Forest Service and the Colorado Springs Fire Department, show smoke in the area, but don’t appear to show active flames – at least not to the extent that they’re spotted easily from above. The fire appears to be burning on a remote and rugged hillside.

At time of reporting, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office X.com page appears to be where updates are being posted most frequently.

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