The Cameron Peak fire, the largest wildfire in Colorado history, is now 92% contained and firefighters continue to make helicopter retardant drops on the fire.
On Tuesday firefighters carried out strategic air drops to “manage isolated fire activity in the interior” of the fire, according to a Tuesday morning fire update. Helicopter drops were also used on the interior of the nearby Thompson Zone fire.
In the Pingree area, firefighters secured containment lines Tuesday around the Colorado State University Mountain Campus, fire officials said, diminishing smoke there. Fire crews removed hose, sprinklers and pumps during “backhaul operations” along the eastern edge of the fire.
The Cameron Peak fire has burned 208,913 acres, or 326 square miles, in Larimer County since starting on Aug. 13. The cause of the wildfire remains under investigation.
The nearby Thompson Zone fire, sparked as a spot fire from the East Troublesome fire on Oct. 22, has burned 4,889 acres and is 48% contained.
On Wednesday crews continued fire suppression efforts in the Cedar Park and Glen Haven areas, officials said.
Plans to repair lands damaged by fire and fire suppression, and to minimize potential soil erosion, in Rocky Mountain National Park and elsewhere is ongoing. The repair plan includes 105 miles of (bull) dozer line and 20 miles of hand dug lines. Crews are also restoring 72 miles of roadway to pre-fire conditions, the update said.
Rocky Mountain National Park and National Forest System lands on the Canyon Lakes Ranger District remain closed by the wildfires.
A weak cold front Wednesday is bringing increased cloud cover and gusting winds up to 45 mph, fire officials said. A strong winter weather system is expected Saturday night into Sunday bringing snow with a chance of rain and snow at lower elevations, according to the National Weather Service. Cold and unsettled weather from the system will continue into early next week.
At the East Troublesome fire, the second-largest wildfire in state history, evacuation orders were lifted Tuesday for the U.S. Highway 34 corridor to Rocky Mountain National Park. An evacuation order remains for the Colorado 125 corridor from mile marker 5 to the Grand and Jackson County line, where crews have been removing downed trees from the roadway.
On Tuesday crews repaired bull dozer lines in the Drowsy Creek area and rehabilitation work was done on the East Inlet Trail containment line. Firefighters responded to reports of smoke in some areas, according to an update.
Scorched beetle-killed timber and forest, along with “difficult terrain pose a hazard to the public and firefighters” in some areas, officials said. Grand County officials continue to assess structure damage in areas of the fire.
Fire activity and growth has been “minimal,” the update said. “Smoke impacts will increase due to a warming and drying trend” through Friday.
The East Troublesome fire has burned 193,804 acres, almost 303 square miles, since starting on Oct. 14. It is 37% contained.
Wildfire map
Click markers for details, use buttons to change what wildfires are shown. Map data is automatically updated by government agencies and could lag real-time events. Incident types are numbered 1-5 — a type 1 incident is a large, complex wildfire affecting people and critical infrastructure, a type 5 incident is a small wildfire with few personnel involved. Find more information about incident types at the bottom of this page.
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