Firefighters continued to work the Cameron Peak Fire on Wednesday as thunderclouds dropped rain that cooled but did not quench the 15,738-plus-acre blaze.
Members of the Rocky Mountain Incident Command Team reported that the fire, which was sparked last Thursday in the Roosevelt National Forest, grew with the help of “red flag” weather conditions, and was especially active in the southwest, where northerly winds have carried it across Colo. 14 and into the Long Draw Reservoir area.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Forest Service is asking members of the public to share photos of the early stages of the fire to help investigators learn more about its origin.
As of Wednesday morning, the Rocky Mountain Incident Command Team listed the cause of the fire as “unknown.”
The USFS asks anyone possessing photos of the fire taken from trails south of Cameron Peak, especially photos of smoke and flames near neighboring trails, to email the images to SM.FS.usfsarp@usda.gov.
Those who want to share other information should call 307-745-2392, select option five and leave their name and number so law enforcement may contact them.
A suspicious vehicle and driver are also being sought in connection with the Four Corners Fire, which burned about a tenth of an acre in the Roosevelt National Forest on Friday.
Incident team says firefighters ‘playing offense’
Operations section chief Beau Kidd said during a 5:30 p.m. Facebook Live briefing that firefighters are now “playing offense” against the Cameron Peak Fire, helping nearby communities with structure improvements and continuing to reinforce control lines.
More than 500 people are currently working the fire, supported by 10 helicopters, with more resources ordered.
Workers are continuing to haul out timber with heavy machinery and clear vegetation in the areas north and northeast of the fire — which started near Chambers Lake, about 40 miles due west of Fort Collins.
To the east, efforts are focusing on the Colorado State University Mountain Campus, with workers using the Emmaline Lake Trail to enter the area.
Kidd said efforts were going “very well” in the Colo. 14 corridor, though responders are still struggling to control the fire to the southwest. He said attempts to halt the fire’s spread to the southwest with helicopter water drops on Wednesday were unsuccessful.
“The fuels are too heavy, and there’s too many spot fires to contain,” he said.
Team meteorologist Darren Clabo also spoke on Wednesday, saying thunderstorms occurring Wednesday across the area of the fire might slow it down, but would not provide the moisture needed to put it out.
“They are putting down a little bit of rainfall, which should help to check the fire’s activity,” he said. “But in this fuel model, a little bit of rain like we’re seeing right now isn’t enough to really do any operational good.”
He predicted that, over the next 72 hours, skies would clear, the humidity would drop and temperatures would remain around 80 degrees.
Restrictions and resources for evacuees still in place
Mandatory and voluntary evacuation zones remain in place around the fire, and Colo. 14 remains closed between the communities of Rustic and Gould.
Rocky Mountain National Park has instituted a complete fire ban and area closure. Fire restrictions remain in place for all of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests.
Resources for those impacted by evacuation orders include:
- Larimer County at 970-498-7120 for evacuees seeking shelter.
- Larimer County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Troy Badberg at 970-443-3231.970-443-3231 for those needing help evacuating large animals.
- The Larimer Humane Society at 970-226-3647, ext. 7 for those needing help evacuating small animals.
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As Cameron Peak Fire grows past 15,700 acres, investigators seek answers - Loveland Reporter-Herald
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