Emergency officials managing a gas well blowout in Weld County that spewed natural gas, water, oil well-drilling fluids and volatile organic compounds more than 80 feet into the air for five days finally declared the blowout under control at about 3:30 p.m. Thursday.
The well is located about 25 miles east of Fort Collins and a mile south of the town of Galeton, at the intersection of Weld County Roads 51 and 72.
Twelve residents living within a half mile of the well were quickly evacuated and housed at hotels paid for by well owner Chevron Oil. Galeton Fire Protection District Chief Russ Kane said there were three residents who refused to evacuate and one person who came back after evacuating but then left again…