Updated at 8:45 p.m.:
The evacuation order for the Winchester Hills and Bison Crossing subdivisions has been lifted, according to a call from Laramie County's alert system.
Terry Ranch Road will remain closed through night. Residents on the south side of Terry Ranch Road will not have access to their homes while fire crews work through the area.
Fire crews will be working through the night to clean up and monitor the fire.
Updated at 7:40 p.m.:
The Cheyenne/Laramie County Emergency Management Agency issued the following press release:
A grass fire was reported at approximately 4:26pm around mile marker 4 on I-25 and along Terry Ranch Rd. Due to high winds the fire spread quickly and threatened various homes in the Winchester Hills and Bison Crossing Subdivisions. Several fire departments and law enforcement personnel responded to the scene. A Unified Command Post was setup at the Port of Entry on US-85 South of Cheyenne.
An Evacuation Order was requested and sent to residents in the affected area. Residents were evacuated to South High School where the American Red Cross and Laramie County School District #1 welcomed evacuees. Black Hills Energy has turned power off to the area as a precaution and for the safety of responding crews. No fatalities were reported as a result of this incident.
At this time, evacuation orders are still in place until Unified Command has determined that it is safe to return. Please avoid the area until further notice. The evacuation shelter will remain open until further notice.
We would like to thank the following partners for the assistance in the response:
Laramie County Fire District #1
Laramie County Fire Authority
Laramie County Fire District #3
Laramie County Fire District #4
Laramie County Fire District #5
Laramie County Fire District #6
Laramie County Fire District #10
Cheyenne Fire Rescue
Wyoming Guard Fire
Wyoming State Forestry
FE Warren Fire
Laramie County Sheriff’s Office
Wyoming Highway Patrol
Weld County Sheriff’s Office
Black Hills Energy
Wyoming Dept. of Transportation
Laramie County School District #1
American Red Cross
Cheyenne/Laramie County EMA
Laramie County IT
Laramie County Coroner’s Office
Amateur Radio Emergency Services
Laramie County Community Emergency
Response Team
CFD Parade Committee
Archer Events
Original story posted at 5:41 p.m.:
Residents in the Winchester Hills area south of Cheyenne have been notified to evacuate due to a large grass fire threatening structures.
A shelter for evacuated residents is available at South High School, according to the National Weather Service.
Structure protection has been requested for homes on Spencer Drive, according to the nonprofit Watch Duty app that monitors radio chatter and other outlets for real-time fire updates.
The Laramie County Sheriff's Office said, "deputies and fire are currently on scene addressing a large fire in the between I-25, US-85, and the Terry Ranch Road area."
The agency will release updates on its Facebook page.
A high wind warning is in effect for Cheyenne and much of the state, with gusts of up to 80 miles per hour expected.
