LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. — About 100 new firefighting personnel arrived to the Cameron Peak Fire on Tuesday to help bolster efforts around the fire's perimeter.
The fire is 125,006 acres and 22% contained, according to the Northwest Incident Management Team.
Fuels around that fire dried out Tuesday and Wednesday, which caused the fire to become more active. Several smoke columns could be seen from the area as it burned previously untouched pockets of fuel within its perimeter.
Firefighters worked along the western side of the unburned area along Highway 14 to burn more fuels, therefore reducing the risk that the fire could run in that direction. In addition, firefighters burned areas around structures to protect them should the fire become close, according to the Northwest Incident Management Team.
Like Tuesday, the crews continued to tie the two northeastern fingers together with fireline and secure the edge where Highway 14 meets Manhattan Road.
Overall, the fire personnel continued to patrol for at-risk structures, mop up, and extinguish hot spots.
The fire along the perimeter near Comanche Reservoir stayed active Tuesday.
On Wednesday, fire crews planned to further buffer and secure the fire's perimeter, with an intense focus on structure protection. Firefighters are prepared for the fire to become more active Wednesday as fuels continue to dry out. Temperatures around the fire will stay in the mid 50s to mid 60s with northwest winds. Fire officials said they aren't expecting precipitation Wednesday or Thursday.
Wildfire smoke from the Cameron Peak Fire and Mullen Fire, along with other western wildfires, created poor air quality conditions across Colorado’s Front Range Wednesday.
READ MORE: Smoke from Cameron Peak, Mullen fires creates poor air quality across Front Range
Multiple mandatory and voluntary evacuations, as well as road closures, are in place around the Cameron Peak Fire. However, in some good news, Old Fall River Road in Rocky Mountain reopened Wednesday after closing on Sept. 5 due to the fire. However, there is still smoke in the area. Visitors should still check weather and fire conditions before making plans to explore the backcountry.
The following locations and trails are still closed in the park:
- 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: Cascade Creek, Cache La Poudre, South Cache La Poudre, Hague Creek and Mosquito Creek
- Multiple wilderness campsites
Click here for a full list of evacuations, or explore the map below.
To sign up for emergency alerts in Larimer County, visit NOCO Alert's website here. For updates for people who have been forced to evacuate, text the word LCEVAC to 888777 from your cell phone.
The fire is the third-largest in Colorado history.
The state's 10 largest wildfires in history, ranked by acreage, are:
1. Pine Gulch Fire (2020): 139,007 acres
2. Hayman Fire (2002): 137,760 acres
3. Cameron Peak Fire (2020): 125,006 acres
4. Spring Fire (2018): 108,045 acres
5. High Park Fire (2012): 87,284 acres
6. Missionary Ridge Fire (2002): 72,962 acres
7. 416 Fire (2018): 54,000 acres
8. Bridger Fire (2008): 45,800 acres
9. Last Chance Fire (2012): 45,000 acres1
0. Bear Springs/Callie Marie fires (2011): 44,662 acres
Note: The Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center said the West Fork Complex fire, which burned a total of 109,632 acres in 2013, is not included on this list since it involved three separate fires.
The fire started Aug. 13 in the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests near Cameron Pass and Chambers Lake. Its cause is under investigation.
A statewide open fire ban is in effect for all of Colorado through Oct. 7.