Bent County Sheriff Boggsville Wildfire Incident Report 3/3/24

Description: An Update on the 1,000+ Acre Wildfire Burning in Southeast Colorado from Bent County Sheriff Jake Six...

Published: 03/03/2024

Boggsville Wildfire BCSO Incident Report

Boggsville Fire (Update 3/3/2024 7:15pm)

On March 2, 2024, at approximately 1014 am, The Bent County Dispatch Center received a call for a brush fire on Highway 101 approximately 2 miles south of Las Animas. The fire moved quickly into the Purgatory River bottom and began to move east down the river. The Las Animas Fire Department deployed to the scene and engaged the fire along highway 101 and in the Keller District.

Homes along highway 101 north of the fire that could be in the line of the fire were evacuated. The Bent County Correctional Facility and the Fort Lyon Community were placed on pre-evacuation at 10:59.

The Las Animas Fire Department stemmed the fire in the Keller District and along Highway 101 preventing loss of life or structures, approximately 400 hay bales were lost in the Keller District.

Emergency Responders from over 30 agencies deployed to the scene of the Fire over the course of the day. Fire Crews worked to protect and secure a fire break around the City of Las Animas and surrounding area. The Colorado Department of Transportation and Law Enforcement closed roads and prepared for possible evacuations of the Correctional Facility and Fort Lyon facility. The Las Animas School District and surrounding school Districts activated their Busses to assist with the evacuations.

Due to the direction of the fire, the Fort Lyon facility was evacuated at 12:54 pm, over 200 residents were evacuated to the Community Center in Las Animas. Fire crews fought and held the line around Las Animas and the Keller District. The pre-evacuation status of the Bent County Correctional Facility was lifted and they returned to normal Operations at 3:01pm.

The north side fire made its way down the Purgatory River and stopped at the Arkansas River. The north head of the fire was held by the Arkansas River in a location with no access by fire crews. With the winds it was anticipated the fire may jump the Arkansas River in the night or early morning. The night operations began at 8:00 pm relieving the Las Animas Fire Department and mutual aid fire crews. The night operation crews monitored the Fire throughout the night.

Early in the morning of March 3, 2024, crews from all over the state as well as the Las Animas Fire Department moved back into action. The Arkansas River held the north side of the fire through most of the night. In several areas the fire jumped to the northside of the Arkansas River during the morning hours, crews were able to stop the fire at or near the jump areas. The fire crews improved upon established fire lines further containing the fire from traveling east, south or west. Most of the north fire line is still being held by the River. The Bent County Sheriff’s Office and Las Animas Fire personnel are continuing to monitor for the next few days.

We would like to thank our community for all the donations and assistance with this fire as well as our agency partners. Our success is predicated on coming together as a community and partners.

Agencies that selflessly assisted with the Fire:

Las Animas Fire Department, Bent County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado State Patrol, Prowers Rural Fire Department, La Junta Fire Department, Rocky Ford Fire Department, Baca County Fire Department, Kit Carson County Fire Department, Syracuse Fire Department, Fort Carson Fire Department, Hoehne Fire Department, Limon Emergency Medical Services, Manzanola Fire Department, Hugo Fire Department, Security Fire Department, Fowler Fire Department, Bent County Ambulance Service, Lamar Fire Department, Cimarron Hills Fire Department, Cheyenne Wells Fire Department, Kim Fire Department, Northeast Teller County Fire Department, Monument Fire Department, Crowley County Fire Department, Cheraw Fire Department, La Junta Police Department, Otero County Sheriff’s Office, Las Animas County Sheriff’s Office, Division of Parks and Wildlife, Prowers County Sheriff’s Office, United States army Corps of Engineers, Bent County Road and Bridge, South Fork Fire Department, South Arkansas River Fire Department, Tallahassee Fire Department, Kiowa County Fire Department, Kiowa County Emergency Management, Otero County Emergency Management, Red Cross, Baca County Emerengecy Management, Black Forest Fire Department, Tri-Lakes Fire Department, West Metro Fire Department, Colorado Department Corrections Swift Crew, United States Forest Service, Springfield Fire Department, Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Bent County Emergency Management, Bent County Jail, Colorado Department of Corrections, Corecivic, Arkansas Valley Correctional Facilities Emergency Response Team, Pueblo complex Emergency Response Team, Canyon Complex Emergency Response Team, Special Operations response team from the Colorado Department of Corrections, Colorado Department of Transportation, Las Animas School District, Lamar School District, La Junta School District, WW Feeds, and our local Farmers and ranchers!

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