A wildfire destroyed two homes and prompted evacuations Thursday in the area of the Mountain View Estates subdivision north of Buena Vista, according to the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office.

The Mountain View fire has burned about 60 acres, according to a social media post by the Sheriff’s Office shortly before 8 p.m.

About 50 homes are within the evacuation zone, with 25 of those in what the Sheriff’s Office refers to as a “hot” zone. Mountain View Estates is about 15 miles north of Buena Vista along U.S. 24.

“Fire crews made a great initial attack on the fire with aircraft, which has been very helpful,” the Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook. “We have crews from Chaffee County Fire Protection District, Salida Fire Department, DFPC from the state, and Federal partners along with other mutual aid partners from neighboring counties.  At this time, we do not believe the fire has entered public lands. At this time there is no concern about having to evacuate livestock in the area.”

Click or tap here for updates from the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office.

6 p.m. update

A wildfire that reached a structure Thursday prompted a mandatory evacuation order for the Mountain View Estates subdivision near Buena Vista. A pre-evacuation notice was issued for the surrounding five miles.

The Mountain View Estates subdivision is roughly 15 miles north of Buena Vista, near the Morrison Creek area, on the west side of U.S. 24. The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office encouraged evacuees to go to its office, located at 200 Steele Drive, Buena Vista.

For evacuees with pets, the Sheriff’s Office said smaller animals can be taken to the Ark Valley Humane Society at 701 Gregg Drive, and larger animals can be taken to the Buena Vista Rodeo Grounds on County Road 321.

As of 6 p.m., the fire had spread to as many as 20 acres of Chaffee County land, according to Watch Duty, a volunteer-based website that releases real-time wildfire information. 

As of 2 p.m. Thursday, 7,437 people were without power, the Chaffee County Times reported.

On Wednesday, a “no burn day” was put in effect in Chaffee County, outlawing anyone from building, maintaining or attending a fire, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The no-burn order included the use of fireworks, outdoor smoking, charcoal grills and wood-burning stoves. 

On Thursday, the National Weather Service in Pueblo issued a red-flag warning  until 9 p.m., meaning that conditions were ideal for wildfire combustion and rapid spread. Thursday’s high was 85 degrees and included wind gusts reaching 21 mph. 

On Friday, the high in Buena Vista is forecast to be 83 degrees, and there is a 50% chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms. There will be 5-10 mph winds throughout the day and into the evening. 

The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office is posting updates as they become available. 

This is a developing story. More details will be released as they become available.