The Denver Fire Department put out a fire at the Shell gas station at West 5th Avenue and Bryant Street, which it says was caused by a natural gas leak that then sparked.

The evacuation area includes Penrose and homes within 2 miles of Fremont County Road F45 and Colorado 115, sheriff’s officials said at 2:25 p.m. People living within 3 miles of the area are on a pre-evacuation notice.

The incident took place at a Shell gas station in Denver on Thursday, March 19

Northbound US‑85 (Santa Fe Drive) shut down Friday afternoon after fire activity forced authorities to close the roadway between Lakeside Drive and Dumont Way, backing up the northbound commute along the busy corridor.

A CBS Colorado investigation has found Denver may now be subsidizing fire protection for neighboring cities -- despite deals that were supposed to save money -- as the city faces deep budget cuts and layoffs.

West Metro Fire Rescue said grass and trees were on fire in Lakeside, causing smoke visible from Interstate 70.

The Denver weather forecast this weekend includes Pinpoint Weather Alert Days for Saturday and Sunday.