Cooler temps help firefighters

Four major wildfires continue to burn across Colorado, but firefighters were helped Sunday by cooler temperatures and some rain.

Pine Gulch: Fire crews increased containment on the fire to 79% Sunday. The fire has burned 139,007 acres, or about 217 square miles, and is the largest wildfire in Colorado’s recorded history.

Firefighters expected to see little- to- no spread Monday, fire officials said, although there is a chance of gusty winds, which could increase fire activity.

A cold front arriving Monday night will increase the chance of thunderstorms and rain showers over the fire area, fire officials said on InciWeb. Cooler and moister air is expected on Wednesday before hot and dry weather returns by the end of the week.

Firefighters will work to reinforce containment lines on the northwest side of the fire and will focus on the uncontained perimeter on the western side, where the fire has been slowed by natural features and containment lines, but is still active.

Grizzly Creek: The fire remained stable Sunday at 32,464 acres, about 51 square miles, and stayed 73% contained.

Fire officials on Monday, during a Facebook briefing, said firefighters continue to monitor a couple of breaks in containment line along the southern end of the fire.

Helicopters are being used when necessary, to “suppress hot signatures,” but rough and treacherous terrain is keeping firefighters from directly attacking the fire on the ground. In one spot, a wide expanse of rock scree is acting as a natural containment line, but fire officials are hesitant to mark that spot yet as part of containment line.

Threat of eastward expansion of the fire has somewhat “diminished,” fire officials said.

Firefighters dealt with hour- long strong winds Sunday that threatened to push the fire over established fire lines and forced crews to pull back for their own safety, fire officials said in a daily update. The wind was caused by a passing storm, which brought gusts of about 40 mph.

Despite the gusts, the fire lines held, and crews went back to the perimeter after about an hour.

Cameron Peak: The fire grew only slightly overnight Sunday, reaching 23,022 acres or about 36 square miles. The fire remains 0% contained.

On Monday, operations continued to relocate heavy equipment from the Deadman Road area north of the fire toward Crown Point Road, as part of a shift in resources to the south, fire officials said. Resources staging to the south are along the perimeter of the fire near Rocky Mountain National Park and the Neota Wilderness.

Williams Fork: Weekend rains dampened the fire, stymieing its growth and keeping the blaze to 12,097 acres, or about 19 square miles.

Based upon review by the Incident Management Team and the sheriff, a pre- evacuation order for Area 1 was lifted on Monday, fire officials said on InciWeb. No areas in Grand County are currently in evacuation or preevacuation status.

The fire is about 10% contained, fire officials said.