Wildfire prompts evacuations near Rocky Mountain National Park

A wildfire erupted Tuesday near a Colorado town known as a gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, prompting mandatory evacuations for some residents and businesses and shutting down access to mountain roads.

Fanned by high winds, the Kruger Rock Fire, burning near Hermit Park southeast of downtown Estes Park, about 90 minutes outside Denver, was first reported at 7 a.m. and quickly expanded to about 115 acres over the next several hours. Multiple structures were threatened, according to the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office.