Update: Friday, July 13, 2018 – All Red Cross shelters for the Colorado Fires of 2018 have been closed. The Red Cross will turn its focus to helping people recover from this disaster. With over 200 homes destroyed by wildfires support will be needed for communities and individuals. If you are in need of Red Cross support following the wildfires please contact our casework hotline at 719-785-2768.
How can I help? The best way to help the Red Cross is to give a financial donation to our disaster relief effort. Alpine Bank has partnered with the Red Cross to make it easy with a matching grant program that will double your donation. Visit https://www.redcross.org/donate/cm/alpinebank-pub to learn more and to donate.
Update: Wednesday, July 11, 2018: The Red Cross announces the closure of its two remaining shelters supporting the Colorado wildfires. The Fort Garland shelter located at the Fort Garland Community Center will close tomorrow at 1 PM. The Walsenburg shelter, located at the Huerfano Community Center, will close tomorrow at 3 PM.
UPDATE: Wednesday, July 11, 2018: As of Wednesday, 2 Red Cross shelters remain open. The Fort Garland shelter is open and housed 2 people last night. The Walsenburg shelter is open and housed 3 people last night. As the fires abate, the Red Cross is on hand to assist with reentry activities.
For the latest evacuation and fire information, go to SLVEmergency.ORG
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UPDATE: Tuesday, July 9, 2018: As of today, 2 Red Cross shelters remain open to serve evacuees of the 
wildfires. The Fort Garland shelter, located at the local Community Center, is open and housed 3 people last night. The Walsenburg shelter, located at the Huerfano Community Center, is open and housed 6 people last night. As the fires abate, the Red Cross is on hand to support residents and help with reentry activities.
For the latest evacuation and fire information, go to SLVEmergency.ORG
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UPDATE: Monday, July 9, 2018: As of today, 2 Red Cross shelters remain open to support residents affected by 
the wildfires. The Fort Garland shelter, located at the local Community Center, is open and housed 4 people last night. The Walsenburg shelter, located at the Huerfano Community Center, is open and housed 3 people last night. The Basalt shelter at Basalt High School housed 10 people overnight, and is closing today at 1 PM, as reentry begins in that area.
For the latest evacuation and fire information visit SLVEmergency.ORG.
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UPDATE: Sunday, July 8, 2018: The Red Cross is supporting reentry in the Basalt and Fort Garland areas by distributing cleaning kits and items such as bleach, trash bags, gloves, rakes, shovels, sifters, and dust masks to returning residents upon reentry to their homes.
As of today, 3 Red Cross shelters remain open to serve evacuees from the 
wildfires. The Fort Garland shelter is open and housed 4 people last night. The Walsenburg shelter is open and housed 5 people last night. The Basalt shelter is open and housed 27 people last night.
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UPDATE: Saturday, July 7, 2018: As of today, 3 Red Cross shelters are open to serve those affected by the 
Colorado wildfires. The Fort Garland shelter is open and housed 9 people last night. The Walsenburg shelter is open and housed 6 people. The Basalt shelter is open and housed 30 people.
The Cripple Creek shelter closed as of 8 AM this morning. The shelters at Roaring Fork and Basalt combined into one, located at Basalt High School.
Since the fires began June 27, the Red Cross has provided the following consolidated data for all fire responses:
- 13 shelters open
- 494 overnight stays
- 14,056 meals and snacks served
- 187 total staff and volunteers
For the latest evacuation and fire information visit SLVEmergency.ORG.
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UPDATE: Wednesday, July 4, 2018: As of today, 5 Red Cross shelters are open to serve communities effected by 
the Colorado wildfires. The Walsenburg shelter, located in the Huerfano Community Center in Walsenburg, housed 3 people overnight. The Ft. Garland/Blanca Community Center shelter housed 4 people. The Cripple Creek shelter in Victor High School housed 9 people. At Carbondale High School, 111 people were served breakfast (the shelter opened at 2 AM), and the shelter at Basalt High School housed 41.
The Red Cross released the following consolidated data (since its response began on June 27) for all fire responders:
- 9 shelters open
- 233 overnight stays
- 9,198 meals and snacks served
- 141 total staff and volunteers
For the latest evacuation and fire information visit SLVEmergency.ORG. You can find the location of an open shelter at www.redcross.org and clicking on GET HELP. There you will find a map and information about each shelter site.
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UPDATE:Tuesday, July 3, 2019, 9PM: The American Red Cross by request of Teller County Emergency Management has closed the shelter at Woodland Park High School. The Shelter at Cripple Creek-Victor High School remains open for people evacuated from the High Chateau Fire. “There is plenty of room at the Cripple Creek shelter,” said Richard Garcia, Red Cross Mass Care Manager. “The Woodland Park HS was just not being utilized.”
Families enjoyed the potluck supper at the Cripple Creek-Victor High School shelter. Photo by Rick Padden/American Red Cross
The shelter in Cripple Creek has been housing 20 or more people since it opened on Saturday. Meals are being provided by the Cripple Creek community and large animals are housed at the Cripple Creek Fairgrounds near the shelter. A community potluck was held Monday evening at the shelter sponsored by the Cripple Creek community.
Shelters remain open in Walsenburg and Ft Garland for the Spring Fire. A few people were allowed to reenter the fire areas that had not been scorched by the fire, on Tuesday. Red Cross was on scene to provide cleanup kits and other supplies. A disaster Assistance Center was open Tuesday in San Luis, CO and in La Veta, CO for people to learn more about the resources they will have when they return to their homes.
For the latest evacuation and fire information visit SLVEmergency.ORG. You can also visit Huerfano County Emergency Management on Facebook to learn about the fire and about evacuations in Huerfano County.
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Update: Tuesday, July 3, 2018, 9:30 AM – Shelters remain open in four locations for people that have been evacuated due to the Spring Fire and the Chateau Fire. Red Cross volunteers are at those shelters to provide comfort and support. Cots and blankets are available and regular meals are being served. We have Red Cross nurses on scene to support minor medical needs.
Spring Fire Sheltering Information
Cots being used at the shelter in Walsenburg. Photo by Bill Fortune/Red Cross
Walsenburg (Huerfano Community Center)- 3 people were residing in the shelter with several people outside. Meals being provided by the local senior citizens group. Around 1 AM, nearly 30 Scouts were brought to the shelter due to an evacuation of the scout camp.
Fort Garland/Blanca Community Center – 5 people stayed overnight at the shelter with several people outside in campers and vehicles. Nearly 100 people were served lunch and dinner on Monday.
Chateau Fire
Cripple Creek/Victor High School – 25 people stayed overnight. Meals are being provided by the local community.
Woodland Park High School – 6 people stayed at the shelter overnight. Several others are outside in the parking lot. Local businesses have been supporting meals at the shelter.
Volunteers prepare to leave Colorado Springs and move supplies to La Veta. Photo American Red Cross
The Red Cross mobilized two emergency response vehicles in preparation for reentry. There has been no decision made for reentry for any of the fires but the vehicles are loaded with supplies that will be helpful for cleanup when reentry is announced.
Red Cross Disaster Assessment teams went into the fire zone near La Veta this morning, along with State and local assessment teams to help determine how many structures have been affected by the fire. That information will help with our recovery process and resource allocation.
Evacuees check in with Red Cross at the Disaster Assistance Center in San Luis, CO. Photo by Roger Enix/American Red Cross
Our partner, the Colorado Baptist Disaster Relief, continues to support the Emergency Operations Center and fire fighters in La Veta.
Disaster Assistance Centers have been opened in La Veta (La Veta High School) and in San Luis (15 miles south of Fort Garland at Centennial High School). Information about Red Cross services and returning home after a disaster is available at these locations.
How Can You Help?
Please do not bring donations to the Red Cross shelters, nor to fire stations or incident command locations. Our evacuees and first responders are being well taken care of and excessive donations tend to slow our work down. If there is a need for specific items we, and emergency service agencies, will announce that need through local media and social media outlets. You can support the Red Cross with your monetary donations. Visit the Red Cross at www.redcross.org/donate, call 1-800-REDCROSS or text the word “redcross” to 90999. You can also support local fire districts or other local charities that are helping respond to these tragic wildfire.
Where can you get help?
Fire and Evacuation information for the San Luis Valley is available on line at SLVEMERGENCY.ORG
You can find the location of an open shelter at www.redcross.org and clicking on GET HELP. There you will find a map and information about each shelter site.
To get information about the wildfires from the Type1 and Type2 fire fighting teams go to Facebook and search using SpringFire 2018 or High Chateau Fire. Those Facebook pages are dedicated to the fire fighting activities.
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Updated: Monday, July 2, 2018, 8 AM – The American Red Cross continues to operate evacuation shelters for fires in Colorado. More than 40 people stayed at the four shelters currently open to support the Spring Fire in Costilla and Huerfano Counties and the High Chateau Fire in Teller County. There is an evacuation shelter also available at the Trinidad Community Center in Trinidad, CO.
Southern Baptist Disaster Relief provided meals to first responders. Photo American Red Cross
An evacuation center has also been opened in Fairplay, CO at the Fairplay Community Center in response to the Weston Pass Fire in Park County. Animals can be taken to the Fair Barn in Fairplay.
Overnight Shelter Numbers
High Chateau Fire –
Woodland Park High School – 6 people indoors several people outside in campers and vehicles
Cripple Creek/Victor High School – 30 people inside
Spring Fire –
Huerfano Community Center/Walsenburg – 5 people overnight in the shelter with a few people outside in campers and vehicles
Blanca/Fort Garland Community Center – 2 people overnight in the shelter with several people outside in campers and vehicles.
Red Cross along with the Colorado Baptist Disaster Relief and local businesses continue to feed more than 150 people each day at the shelters as people come to the shelter for information and other support.
Red Cross volunteers have been on the ground supporting first responders and evacuees since June 28 when the first reports of wildfire began. We have
Lori Asiu serves dinner at the evacuation shelter in Walsenburg.
supported shelters in six locations across Colorado. Our disaster workers have been positioned at several of the Emergency Operations Centers, including at the State level, to help coordinate our response. Our teams have also fed hundreds of first responders as they battle the flames.
How Can You Help?
Please do not bring donations to the Red Cross shelters, nor to fire stations or incident command locations. Our evacuees and first responders are being well taken care of and excessive donations tend to slow our work down. If there is a need for specific items we, and emergency service agencies, will announce that need through local media and social media outlets. You can support the Red Cross with your monetary donations. Visit the Red Cross at www.redcross.org/donate, call 1-800-REDCROSS or text the word “redcross” to 90999. You can also support local fire districts or other local charities that are helping respond to these tragic wildfire.
Where can you get help?
Fire and Evacuation information for the San Luis Valley is available on line at SLVEMERGENCY.ORG
You can find the location of an open shelter at www.redcross.org and clicking on GET HELP. There you will find a map and information about each shelter site.
To get information about the wildfires from the Type1 and Type2 fire fighting teams go to Facebook and search using SpringFire 2018 or High Chateau Fire. Those Facebook pages are dedicated to the fire fighting activities. 
Colorado Springs, CO, Friday, June 29, 2018, 4 PM –
The American Red Cross continues to respond to the needs of evacuees and first responders as fires continue to blaze across Colorado.
As of 4 PM the Red Cross has volunteers supporting four shelters in response to wildfire evacuations. Those shelters are as follows:
Spring Creek Fire – Blanca/Ft Garland Recreation Center in Blanca, CO and Huerfano Community Center in Walsenburg. Next public meeting at La Veta High School at 6 PM.
High Chateau Fire – Cripple Creek/Victor High School, Cripple Creek.
Golf Course Fire – Grand Community Center, Grand Lake, CO. Next public meeting at 6PM.
The Red Cross continues to work closely with state and local governments and incident command centers to monitor additional service requests.
The Red Cross volunteers have been providing a variety of services for evacuees and firefighters. We have provided meals at the shelters, delivered water and snacks into the fire zone and served food to the Incident Command posts. Our case workers have helped individual families recover medications and find medical and emotional support. Our shelter workers have been the shoulder to lean on in these difficult times.
Thursday evening we responded to a need for food from the firefighter who had worked through he day. We fed over 40 of them at our shelter in Blanca along with the evacuees. Local restaurant owners, nonprofits and businesses have stepped up to help and have offered their service to make sure that people are fed and hydrated.
In the coming days our volunteers will work with local government to assess the damage that has occurred and as people are allowed to return to their homes we will be there with recovery supplies and other resources to help with the recovery process.
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Colorado Springs, CO, Thursday, June 28, 2018, 7:00 PM – The American Red Cross of Colorado & Wyoming has opened evacuation enters and shelters for people affected by several wildfires now blazing in Colorado.
Spring Creek Fire – A new shelter has been opened at Huerfano Community Center, 928 Russel St, Walsenburg, CO.
A shelter remains open at the Blanca/Fort Garland Community Center, 17591 E. Hwy 160 in Blanca, CO. Follow @SLVEmergency or SLVEmergency.org for information in Costilla County.
Follow Huerfano Office of Emergency Management on Twitter as @Huerfano911 or on Facebook at facebook.com/huerfano911.
Grand Fire – Evacuation Center at The Grand Lake Center, 301 Marina Dr., Grand Lake, CO. Emergency information available at 970-725-1300.
If you are evacuated for any of these fires you are encouraged to go to one of the shelters for support and information. Red Cross volunteers will be on scene and there will be cots, blankets, food and water as needed.
Follow the Colorado Red Cross on Twitter for more information: @COWYRedCross or visit our blog at COWYRedCrossblog.org.