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Fire at oil drilling site near Bennett under control after burning for hours

All of the workers were evacuated and no one was injured.

ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — A large fire that burned for hours at an oil drilling site near Bennett is under control, the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office (ACSO) said Saturday afternoon. 

ACSO said Saturday afternoon that firefighters were being extra careful and were not yet attacking the fire because it was too dangerous. 

"This fire could blow up at any time. They're just very concerned and they don't want to go anywhere near it right now," sheriff's spokesperson Ginger Delgado said in a media briefing.

Bennett Fire, South Metro Fire, and ACSO's wildland fire team, hazmat team, and bomb squad all responded. The bomb squad was there in case there was an explosion, according to Delgado.

Just after 7 p.m., ACSO said firefighters were about to begin attacking the fire with foam trucks and that they had taken steps to mitigate the chemicals to reduce the risk to personnel. 

At around 7:45 p.m., the sheriff's office said the fire was under control.

Jason Oates with site operator Crestone Peak Resources said the fire primarily burned diesel fuel from trucks and pumps.

About 45 or 46 workers were there when the fire started at around 1:45 p.m., according to Oates. Everyone was evacuated and no one was injured.

Crestone will be performing its own investigation of the incident, Oates said. The cause of the fire has not been determined.  

A one-mile perimeter was set up around the site. East Quincy Avenue is closed at Watkins Road, ACSO said, and Watkins Road is also closed three miles north of East Quincy Avenue.

RELATED: Forest Service, Boulder County scramble in $6.5 million push to stabilize burned slopes

RELATED: Lightning may have sparked oil tank fire near Brighton

RELATED: No structures damaged as Tom Bay Fire near Bennett 100 percent contained

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