Colorado Burn Out

Richard Arnold Beattie

CREATE Daily

RABBITS- Columns

March 23, 2026

Colorado Burn-Out

Penrose, Colorado- On March 18th the annual fire-season began in Colorado with the “24 Fire” closing down a major highway between Penrose and Colorado Springs. The fire started at Fort Carson, a major military base with a history that spans back to the Civil War. Since 2010 fires have been a regular part of the summer, and with this year almost 2000 acres have been scorched, 57 homes evacuated and a search for cause and effect are being talked about. Colorado Highway 115 is closed in both directions from the ranching town of Penrose to Fort Carson. Most drivers are driving through Pueblo to Colorado Springs and up Interstate 25 to reach Colorado Springs and up to Denver. The main statistic is that with wind speed and a change of direction the fire reaches some kind of containment progress that reverses itself back to zero. The best news is that no structures have been damaged or lost and most importantly no lives have been lost in this ever growing blaze.

Economically, the state of Colorado has taken it on the chin. Record low snowfall closed most ski areas on St. Patrick’s Day and snow melt from higher elevations is not only at lowest points, it is also evaporating and not absorbing in the ground. Elevated power lines in more rural areas are sparking other fires in the state, as well as the usual suspects, a tossed cigarette butt, open fire and campfires and overgrown tree growth and pine needles. In Silver Cliff, Colorado, a home was completely lost on Friday. A man and his dog escaped the quick fire that completely reduced the old mining structure to charred rubble by lunchtime. Earlier in the week a fire near The Pines Ranch near Westcliffe was contained and knocked down quickly by local volunteers. The lack of moisture, warmer temperatures, accelerants and dryland are burning out the West early this year than we have seen throughout this Century. RAB-BITS 03/23/2026 Richard Arnold Beattie-Westcliffe, Colorado