LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. — Officials lifted several evacuation orders Tuesday and reopened Highway 34 completely Wednesday as the 9,668-acre Alexander Mountain Fire in Larimer County grew to 83% containment.
The blaze, the largest of the wildfires burning Colorado, was first reported at around 10:38 a.m. on July 29. It forced the evacuations of more than 5,000 people in the area and destroyed 26 homes and 21 outbuildings. No injuries were reported.
"We had the opportunity to open up some key areas of Highway 34 today, so we're able to get some folks back into Waltonia and then up above the Cherry Cider Store and the Dam Store. Our hope is to open up more of Highway 34 and the access road up to Storm Mountain tomorrow," said Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen during a press briefing Tuesday.
Watch the latest briefing from fire officials below:
Tuesday’s lifting of several evacuation orders comes a day after fire officials cleared most of the remaining orders and released information on re-entry credentials as crews inch closer to full containment.
On Monday, Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen said some mandatory evacuation orders were still in place, with more than 1,000 contacts waiting to return. It’s unclear how many contacts remain on mandatory evacuation status after Tuesday's announcement.
Evacuees returning home must obtain re-entry credentials to access the impacted areas. Credentialing locations will be opened for residents and property owners from the Storm Mountain and Cedar Park communities beginning Monday. Specifically, property owners and residents for the following locations:
To learn more about what exactly is needed for the credentialing process, Larimer County has detailed descriptions of what can be used as proof of residence.
The cause of the fire is still unknown. Fire investigators were at the origin site Sunday, but officials were unable to comment on their findings.
As the firefighters tackled the rough terrain, Garrett Mogel and the Larimer County Sheriff's Office worked to document their efforts. They compiled photographs from the first week of the fight and shared them with Denver7.
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