Wildfire now stands at 102,596 acres as of Tuesday, Sept. 8, and only 4 percent contained.
The Cameron Peak Fire, 30 miles west of Fort Collins, basically exploded over the weekend, going from around 34,000 acres to more than 100,000 acres by Tuesday morning, September 8. Dry, hot, and windy conditions are fueling the blaze, which is only at about 4 percent containment as of Tuesday. The current containment date (at the current conditions and containment rate) isn't until late October according to the Incident Information webpage. However, the weather coming in this week could significantly help the situation.
Because of the increase in size and dangerous conditions, more evacuations were ordered and Rocky Mountain National Park has closed Trail Ridge Road and Old Fall River Road due to heavy smoke and low visibility. It has also closed Chapin Pass Trail off of Old Fall River Road, North Fork Trail, North Boundary Trail, and Stormy Peaks Trail, including additional wilderness campsites in these areas.
Other State and National Forest sites are closed in the area. It's best to avoid all of them at this time.
The closure order for the Canyon Lakes Ranger District has expanded for public and firefighter safety during the #CameronPeakFire. Please make sure you #knowbeforeyougo and stay out of National Forest System lands in this area. https://t.co/52rDwOTVtG pic.twitter.com/BQZ2SEgYIl
— Canyon Lakes Ranger RD (@usfsclrd) September 7, 2020
On Monday (as of 12 p.m.), mandatory evacuations have been put in place for:
- Glacier View, along Red Feather Lakes Road (West County Road 74e) and east of 68c.
- From Stove Prairie Landing south on County Road 27 to County Road 44H and east to include Stratton Park.
On Monday (as of 12 p.m.), voluntary evacuations are in place for:
- All of County Road 52E (Rist Canyon Road) to include Davis Ranch Road, Whale Rock Road, and west to County Road 27E.
Prior evacuations have occurred at Pingree Park, Highway 14 from the Poudre River fish hatchery east to Kelly Flats, and the Buckhorn Road area.
Some hope is being put on the storm system moving in on Tuesday and cooler temperatures for the rest of the week. With snow and rain possible, the fire could be dampened, giving firefighters a chance to get ahead of the burn.
The South Metro wildland team deployed on Brush Engine 41 at the #CameronPeakFire shared these photos of SMFR firefighters holding a firing operation with a Hotshot crew from Craig, CO on Hwy 14 in Poudre Canyon. pic.twitter.com/sHMvYVMwST
— South Metro Fire Rescue (@SouthMetroPIO) September 5, 2020
Trail Ridge Road in #RMNP now closed due to the potential of heavy smoke & low visibility. Closures are at Forest Canyon, 17 mi from east entrances, & Colorado River Trailhead, 10 mi from west entrance. Unknown when Trail Ridge Road will reopen. Old Fall River Rd also closed. ks
— RockyNPS (@RockyNPS) September 6, 2020
RMNP officials had previously closed Old Fall River Road and other areas in the park's northern boundaries due to the fire. On Sunday, they officially closed Trail Ridge Road at 3 p.m. due to concerns of poor visibility as smoke from the Cameron Peak Fire inundates the park. The road that spans the park between Grand Lake and Estes Park will be closed from the Colorado River Trailhead on the west to the Forest Canyon Overlook on the east, according to park officials.
According to NPS.gov, all areas in RMNP that are currently closed due to fire and weather conditions include:
- Trail Ridge Road
- Old Fall River Road
- Chapin Pass Trail
- North Fork Trail
- North Boundary Trail
- Stormy Peaks Trail
- Mummy Pass Trail
- Commanche Peak Trail
- Mirror Lake Trail
- Poudre River Trail
- Crater Trail
- Colorado River Trail
- Red Mountain Trail
- Grand Ditch Access
- Skeleton Gulch Trail
- Thunder Pass Trail
- Little Yellowstone Trail
- Holzwarth Historic Site access beyond the historic site
Closed cross country travel zones include:
- Cascade Creek
- Cache La Poudre
- South Cache La Poudre
- Hague Creek
- Mosquito Creek
Thirty-six wilderness campsites are also included in this closure area.
You can keep on top of closures on the RMNP nps.gov webpage.
Resources:
- Call the Joint Information Center open from 8a-8p at 970-980-2500.
- Watch the incident command page for all information, including evacuations, fire updates, and more.
- For updates from fire officials, text the word LCEVAC to 888777 from your cell phone.
- The Red Cross is operating an evacuations center at Cache La Poudre Middle School at 3515 W. County Road 54G in Laporte for those who are displaced.
- Help with sheltering small animals is available from the Larimer County Humane Society, 970-226-3647, Ext. 7. For help sheltering large animals, call 970-443-3231.
Please also note that air quality along the Front Range due to the several fires is not good. Ash has been seen in the air as far down as Brighton, so take proper precautions if you are at risk.
