Watch the 11 a.m. presser in the video player above. UPDATE: WEDNESDAY 10/30/2024 11:50 a.m. (TELLER COUNTY, Colo.) — The Teller County Sheriff's Office (TCSO) will be lifting all evacuation orders at noon for residents in the Highlands Lake subdivision. Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell said there will be checkpoints at County Road 51 and County Road 511 where individuals must present a valid ID or other proof of residency to enter the area. Some items individuals can show include utility bills, lease agreements, mail with name and address, vehicle registrations, and property tax documents. "We still have a task force of resources on the fire working those hot spots and making sure we have a very good secured perimeter," said Fire Chief JT McLeod. "We wanted to have that in place before we allowed any residents back in and now we are very confident that we are at that 80% containment." All evacuation and pre-evacuation notices will remain rescinded. However, Stage 3 fire bans will persist in the area. Before heading home, TCSO is asking individuals to stop and pick up their pets as they are trying to relieve volunteers and open more space at TCRAS. Sheriff Mikesell said individuals can expect a line and a wait at the checkpoints. TCSO is asking drivers to abide by the speed limit to keep other drivers and fire crews safe as they work to contain the fire. Traffic will not be open to the public until 4 p.m. County officials thanked the community for understanding, volunteering, and donating items to crews working on the fire. As of Wednesday, Oct. 30, Sheriff Mikesell said the fire investigation is still in its initial stages but they know the fire was man-made and are treating it as a criminal investigation. The 4th Judicial District will help Teller County with the investigation. ORIGINAL TITLE: TCSO to hold Highland Lake Fire morning press briefing WEDNESDAY 10/30/2024 10:40 a.m. The Teller County Sheriff's Office (TCSO) released a new map for the Highland Lake Fire showing the current evacuation zones, and a press briefing will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 30. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Highland Lake fire 60% contained, pre-evacs lifted According to TCSO, the fire was at 166 acres and 60 percent contained as of 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29. No people were injured and no additional structures were damaged. The pre-evacuations had been lifted, but evacuations were still in effect. Courtesy: Teller County Sheriff's Office The Sheriff's Office planned to reassess the situation on Wednesday, Oct. 30, to determine whether conditions and firefighting efforts overnight allowed for a gradual re-entry process to begin. Re-entry will only be allowed if the fire does not present additional danger and the weather cooperates. If the fire becomes more dangerous, plans for re-entry will be canceled until further notice. Courtesy: Teller County Sheriff's OfficeCourtesy: Teller County Sheriff's OfficeCourtesy: Teller County Sheriff's OfficeCourtesy: Teller County Sheriff's OfficeCourtesy: Teller County Sheriff's OfficeCourtesy: Teller County Sheriff's Office The initial areas that may be removed from the evacuation list are Aspen Village, Broken Wheel, and Highland Lakes. TCSO plans to share more information about the decision at the 11 a.m. press event. Firefighters used a technique called "backburning" to rob the fire of its fuel in some areas and worked hard to divert the fire away from homes. Those returning to their homes may expect to see burned grass around their property from this effort. Courtesy: Teller County Sheriff's OfficeCourtesy: Teller County Sheriff's OfficeCourtesy: Teller County Sheriff's OfficeCourtesy: Teller County Sheriff's OfficeCourtesy: Teller County Sheriff's Office Over 15 first responder agencies from around the area remain on site to assist with the fire. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. It began as a structure fire and spread to become a brush fire. As with any other incident of this type, the fire is first being investigated for potential criminal charges. Both County and State investigators are involved and the investigators are working with the 4th Judicial District Office and the Colorado Fire Prevention teams.