Colorado wildfire update: Firefighters turn corner on largest fires with some help from long-overdue rain

Over the weekend firefighters gained the upper hand on the largest wildfires in the state, managing to keep them in check while enlarging fire lines, authorities say.

However, a few smaller wildfires have been reported.

Currently there are a dozen active wildfires burning from the Wyoming border to southern Colorado.

Here’s a synopsis of current conditions of Colorado wildfires above 1,000 acres.

SPRING CREEK

Assisted by long-overdue rain, fire crews managed to build containment lines around 70 percent of the wildfire during the weekend.

“Everything is moving in the right direction,” said Linda Smith, Costilla County spokeswoman.

Firefighters will continue Monday to buckle up containment lines on the northwest corner of the 107,307-acre wildfire. They will also try to connect containment lines in the southwest.

The suspected arson fire started on June 27 and spread quickly through tinder dry forests and grasses, destroying at least 132 homes and damaging another 119.

416 FIRE

The second-largest active fire in Colorado, which has consumed 54,122 acres, is now at 100 percent containment in the targeted areas on the eastern and southern sides of the fire. Fire crews are not building containment lines on much of the western and northern parts of the fire because they are in inaccessible wilderness area, fire spokeswoman Kathy Arnoldus said Monday.

“The fire has not been spreading over the last several days,” Arnoldus said.

There had been more than 1,000 firefighters assigned to the wildfire burning 13 miles north of Durango. The staffing has dropped to 245 firefighters, Arnoldus said.

Minimal fire growth is anticipated on Monday. Active spots of the wildfire, which started on June 1, are mostly on the western flank in the San Juan National Forest.

Fire crews will repair fire lines where accessible. High relative humidity and rain showers have aided firefighting. Isolated rain showers are expected Monday afternoon.

LAKE CHRISTINE

Burning about a mile northwest of Basalt, the wildfire has consumed 5,916 acres. Containment increased from 8 percent Sunday to 31 percent on Monday.

There are 583 firefighters tasked to the wildfire. Fire crews will work to extend fire lines and protect homes on Monday. Firefighters will be mopping up on the western and southern sides of the fire, said Matt Ehrman, fire spokesman.

A total of 1,793 residents from 664 homes had been evacuated. Of those, 782 evacuees from 279 homes have returned home. Three homes were destroyed.

WESTON PASS FIRE

Residents who had been evacuated from homes along Colorado 22 will be allowed back to their homes Monday morning, said Haven Cook, fire spokeswoman.

The fire, which is nine miles southwest of Fairplay, did not increase in size Sunday. It remains 13,019 acres in size. Firefighters expanded containment from 34 percent on Sunday to 52 percent Monday morning.

“Favorable weather for the past couple of days have allowed firefighters to accomplish a lot of good work,” a fire report says.

CHATEAU FIRE

The 1,423-acre wildfire, seven miles northwest of Cripple Creek, is at 95 percent containment. Fire management has been handed off to local authorities from federal fire crews.

Wildfires in the U.S.

The map shows active fire locations and all 2018 fire perimeters (not all fires have perimeter data, zoom in to see perimeters of smaller fires). To see all 2018 fire locations or to change the map background, click the map layers icon in the upper right corner of the map and click/unclick the boxes. Pinch or use buttons to zoom, or drag the map to see other areas; click a marker for details. Go to the full map and table.

Data from InciWeb and GeoMAC; map by Kevin Hamm

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