On Friday, June 25, 2004, at approximately 1:20 PM, the Colorado Springs Fire Department was dispatched to a grass fire in a limited access portion of the urban/wildland interface. Initial reports indicated that approximately 4 acres were burning and trees torching.
First arriving crews discovered that a vacant 2-story structure was ablaze and not the adjacent wildland areas.
Defensive operations were quickly established to prevent the fire from spreading into the interface. Due to the limited access and water supply, brush units refilled from a hydrant located more over a half-mile from the fire, until a water supply relay could be established at a nearby cistern.
Despite low live fuel moistures, the recent weather patterns and rains occurring at the time of the fire, wetted the fuels located around the structure aiding in limited fire spread into the interface.
A lightning strike was the initial cause of this blaze. No injuries were reported.
