Evacuation ordered for Bonner Springs and south

The Larimer County Sheriff’s Department has ordered a mandatory evacuation of homes from Bonner Springs Ranch Road to U.S. Highway 287 and south, including Deer Valley Road, Obenchain Road and Ingleside Road, ahead of the Hewlett Fire. The sheriff’s department says 65 homes are in the affected area.

An evacuation center has been set up at Cache la Poudre Middle School, 3515 W. County Road 54G in LaPorte. The Red Cross has set up a mobile assistance center at the school. Livestock and pets can be taken to The Ranch, the Larimer County Fairgrounds Complex, in Loveland, I-25 at the Crossroads Boulevard exit.

The fire is now burning on nearly 5,100 acres of national forest and private land 10 miles west of the junction of Colorado Highway 14 and U.S. Highway 287. Nearly 400 firefighters are fighting the blaze with support from two heavy air tankers, one heavy helicopter and one light helicopter.

Fire departments throughout Northern Colorado are assisting in the firefighting.

Firefighters plan to conduct a small burnout operation on the south side of the fire near the Greyrock footbridge later today to secure the line down to the river. This could cause temporary closures of Highway 14 early this afternoon from Ted’s Place to Stove Prairie Road. Traffic can go out, but will not be allowed in. This is not part of the evacuation.

More information can be found at http://www.larimer.org/emergency/emergency_detail.cfm?nam_id=82. In addition, the Larimer County Emergency Information Line at 970-498-5500 is now being staffed by information officers.

The sheriff’s office also reminds all county residents that they can now register all their contact numbers — home phone, cell phone, work phone, email address, text device or fax machine — with the Larimer Emergency Telephone Authority to receive emergency notification calls in the event of an emergency. Got to www.leta911.org to register.