COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — All evacuation orders related to the North Gate Fire that was burning in north Colorado Springs have been lifted, according to the city.
Crews from the Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) responded to a fire Friday afternoon near Interquest Parkway and Interstate 25.
Mandatory evacuations were ordered for the Farm subdivision on Ridgeline Drive. The borders of the evacuation zone were Middle Creek Parkway South to Interquest Parkway, with an eastern boundary of Voyager. 500 homes were evacuated, according to CSFD.
Just before 2 p.m., CSFD tweeted that crews had knocked down the bulk of the fire. They said no structures were damaged. Shortly before 4 p.m., the city said the evacuations had been lifted.
CSFD said around 6:30 p.m. that the fire was estimated at 17 acres, with 75% containment.
The fire department said the cause was determined to be illegal hot work during burn restrictions. The workers did not have a permit, CSFD said, and hot work precautions were not followed.
Hot work can be electric or gas welding, cutting, brazing, or similar flame or spark-producing operations.
An evacuation center was set up earlier at Pine Creek High School, 10750 Thunder Mountain Ave.
RELATED: Latest forecast
> Do you have a news tip on this story or any other story? We want to hear from you! Tell us about it by emailing newstips@9news.com.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Wildfires in Colorado
MORE WAYS TO GET 9NEWS
Subscribe to our daily 9NEWSLETTER for top stories from 9NEWS curated daily just for you. Get content and information right now for can’t-miss stories, Next and Broncos content, weather and more delivered right to your inbox.
DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP
iTunes: http://on9news.tv/itunes
Google Play: http://on9news.tv/1lWnC5n
HOW TO ADD THE 9NEWS APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KUSA.
For both Apple TV and Fire TV, search for "9NEWS" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
You can watch videos on demand from our top stories, local politics, investigations, Colorado specific features and even classic 9NEWS videos from the 1980s. If you missed a special program, such as a documentary, you will find them in the "9NEWS Original" channel on the app.
> See a typo in one of our stories? Let us know so we can fix it! Email viewerfeedback@9news.com.