A new fire sparked Thursday in eastern El Paso County, prompting mandatory evacuations for nearby residents, according to the sheriff’s office.

The Big Springs fire consumed roughly 80 acres near 31415 Big Springs Road, north of Yoder and about 35 miles east of Colorado Springs, by 12:30 p.m. Thursday, according to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office . At that time, the flames were spreading southwest.

Evacuation orders were issued for residents in the area bordered to the north by Big Springs Road, to the south by Colorado 94, to the west by Calhan Highway and to the east by Lauppe Road.

“Everyone in this area is ordered to EVACUATE NOW,” sheriff’s officials wrote on social media .

Additional information about the fire, including the cause, was not immediately available Thursday.

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