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Jeffco Lifts Evacuation Status For All Communities

Fire Now 67 Percent Contained

POSTED: 6:54 p.m. MDT June 23, 2002
UPDATED: 7:11 p.m. MDT June 23, 2002

With the Hayman Fire now 67 percent contained, many of those who were forced out of their homes can sleep in their own beds for the first time in two weeks. Jefferson County on Sunday lifted the evacuation status for all Jeffco residents affected by the wildfire.

Those living south of Buffalo Creek Park were shifted to standby alert status and were told to prepare to evacuate if conditions change, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department said Douglas County residents living along South Platte River Road (Hwy. 67) south of Oxyoke to Deckers, including the communities of Trumbull and Deckers, were also allowed back to their homes.

About 5,000 people including those living in Westcreek, Thunder Butte and Thunder Butte Acres, Trout Creek Ranch, Freedonia Ranch, Y-Camp Road,Camp Olson , Rainbow Falls North, and Ferguson are still evacuated.

The once ravaging Hayman Fire has destroyed 115 homes, 1 commercial structure and 444 other structures. However, holding at 137,000 acres, many firefighters are hopeful that the end is near.

The only fire perimeter yet uncontained is on the western flank in the Lost Creek Wilderness, where there are few homes.

No homeowners have lost their lives, but four Oregon firefighters en route to the Hayman Fire were killed when their van rolled on Interstate 70 near Parachute in western Colorado Friday night.

Fellow firefighters attended a memorial service for them Sunday night.

Three people remained in critical condition at a Grand Junction hospital. The driver, Megan Helm, 21, of La Grande, Ore., faces charges of careless driving causing death.

There have been four firefighting injuries as a result of the fire.

The cost of firefighting to date is $21,765,000

U.S. Forest Service employee Terry Barton remained in jail after she was arrested last week on charged with four federal counts, including arson, for allegedly starting the fire. She pleaded innocent and was being held in lieu of $600,000 bond.


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