EVERGREEN, Colo. -- Pinpoint drops by air tankers and helicopters helped firefighters get a handle on the Black Mountain Fire Monday and some residents were allowed to return to their homes.

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Residents who were allowed to return clogged local roads Monday night as they went through roadblock checks before being allowed into their neighborhoods.

The fire didn't grow significantly Monday and the size was listed as 250 acres instead of 400. The high winds did not up as expected. Slurry bombers and helicopters were hitting the fire to keep it from spreading, but mandatory evacuations were still in effect.

Increasing cloud cover and decreasing temperatures have aided in the firefighting efforts. Three 20 person crews were on the line and flanking the fire. Wind was expected to pick up on Tuesday in advance of a cold front arriving on Wednesday.

That was good news for thousands of people who were told they could return to their homes Monday night. Only four subdivisons remained evacuated, due to the fire danger. They are Brook Forest Estates, Alpine Hills, Secluded Acres, and Carol Lane.

Conifer High and West Jefferson Middle School were closed Monday, due to the fire, but will be open for school tuesday.

The edge of the fire was less than a mile away from one subdivision -- Brook Forest -- but it had not damaged any structures. The fire is close to where Jefferson, Park and Clear Creek counties meet.

The blaze, dubbed the Black Mountain Fire, was first reported about 2 p.m., Sunday northwest of the Elk Falls subdivision in Park County.

Investigators believe it started in the north fork of North Elk Creek Drainage, 7NEWS reported. It will be some time before they are able to determine a cause.

There is talk among firefighters that it may have been started by lightning strikes which hit several days ago, but had continued to smolder until winds fanned the flames on Sunday, according to broadcast reports.

Firefighting Effort

The fire has charred about 200 acres by Sunday evening, and was still considered volatile and dangerous Monday.

Because the blaze is burning in dense ponderosa pine, smokejumpers were used to parachute in and help battle the blaze, said Rick Barton, a spokesman for the federal interagency team handling the fire.

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A 20-person hot shot crew was also on hand and nine more 20-person crews were ordered, he said.

A Type II federal fire team arrived Sunday night to manage the firefighting efforts.

Volunteer fire departments in the area were sending crews in to help protect homes in the path of the fire.

Air attacks on the fire were under way within 30 minutes of the first report of the fire, but because of high winds, air tankers were called off a few hours later. They resumed slurry drops just before sundown on Sunday, when the winds died down.

The governor requested federal help on Sunday from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which agreed to bear most of the costs of fighting this fire.

FEMA gave the same type of aid two weeks ago when the Snaking Road Gulch fire blew up near Bailey. It cost an estimated $2.6 million, threatened hundreds of homes and burned 2,312 acres.

More than 400 wildfires have burned about 15,600 acres in Colorado this year, according to the Rocky Mountain Area Coordinating Center of the National Interagency Fire Center.

Large animals from the fire area are being taken to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. There is a real need for grass hay for the animals. Anyone who can donate some grass hay should call the fairgrounds at (303) 271-6600.