Large fire breaks out at Evraz Steel Mill; city asks nearby residents to shelter in place

Zach Hillstrom, Pueblo Chieftain
Updated ·2 min read
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Editor's note: An earlier version of this story stated that homes in the 1000 to 1100 block of Palo Alto Street in the Salt Creek neighborhood were being evacuated. The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office initially announced the evacuations, but later stated the homes in that area are only under pre-evacuation notice.

A fire has broken out at the Evraz Rocky Mountain Steel mill and billowing plumes of dark smoke are visible throughout Pueblo.

"This afternoon a fire broke out on the grounds of the EVRAZ Pueblo steel mill," an Evraz spokesperson said in a statement to the Chieftain. "The fire is located in a building primarily used for staging and storage. All employees were immediately and safely evacuated, and all have been accounted for. Pueblo Fire Department remains on scene. We will provide additional details as they become available."

The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office announced the fire in a tweet Friday afternoon, which noted that smoke from the fire is blowing north.

“Please do not call 9-11 unless you see active flames,” the PCSO said in its release.

Because of the smoke, the city of Pueblo issued a notice for residents in the surrounding area to shelter in place due to air quality concerns.

"Go or stay inside, please shut your windows and turn off your air conditioner," the city stated in a tweet.

"This shelter in place is to the north of Evraz including Summit Ave. & Opal St. out east to San Juan St., south to Canal St. & west to Stone Ave. Please view the map attached for the area affected by the shelter in place. Remain in shelter in place until otherwise instructed."

A fire truck races down Interstate 25 in response to a fire at the Evraz steel mill on Friday, April 5, 2024.
A fire truck races down Interstate 25 in response to a fire at the Evraz steel mill on Friday, April 5, 2024.

Homes in the 1000 to 1100 block of Palo Alto Street in the Salt Creek neighborhood are under pre-evacuation notice due to the Evraz fire, according to the PCSO.

This is a developing story and will be updated. For updates, check back at chieftain.com.

Chieftain Editor Zach Hillstrom can be reached at zhillstrom@gannett.com, or on X, formerly Twitter, at @ZachHillstrom. Support local news, subscribe to the Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Fire at Evraz steel mill in Pueblo; heavy smoke prompts shelter in place