BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. – The Peak 2 Fire burning just west of Breckenridge is still estimated at 85 acres Thursday with 7 percent containment, and the approximately 463 homes evacuated Wednesday will remain under evacuation orders through Friday.
The news the fire was 7 percent contained was released at a 2 p.m. news conference. It had been 0 percent contained as of Thursday morning, and estimated at 84 acres in size.
Watch the full update from fire and county authorities Thursday morning in the player below or by clicking here.
Another day of hot, dry weather is expected Thursday, and firefighters and the Summit County sheriff said at a Thursday morning news conference that wind speeds could pick up later in the day.
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The Peak 7 neighborhood, which saw more than 460 residences evacuated Wednesday, are likely to remain under evacuation orders through Thursday, authorities said. Earlier in the morning, there had been some speculation that some might be allowed back into their homes Thursday.
Fire crews keeping evacs in place beyond noon so they can watch fire activity #Denver7 pic.twitter.com/c2oPVnhDLo
— Eric Lupher (@EricLupher7) July 6, 2017
But some people are being let past the roadblocks set up by authorities to grab extra supplies if they can show ID and prove they live in the evacuated subdivisions.
Highway 9 is expected to be closed on and off throughout the day as fire crews move through the area.
There are a host of crews already working the fire and nearly 130 personnel, including eight smoke jumpers, a 20-person hotshot crew, two 20-person Type II hand crews, two helicopters being used to drop water, and multiple local fire agencies. A fire authority said at Thursday’s news conference that there would be at least 10 engines at the site of the fire by Thursday afternoon.
Three people spent the night at the evacuation shelter the Red Cross set up at Summit Middle School in Frisco, though dozens of people evacuated to the shelter at the onset of the fire Wednesday.
Evacuees with any animal shelter needs were also asked to contact the Summit County Animal Control office for assistance.
Breckenridge and Silver Shekel are again under pre-evacuation notices, and Farmer’s Korner and Gold Hill neighborhoods remain on pre-evacuation notices. Authorities have routinely said everyone in Breckenridge should be prepared to evacuate if the call comes.
No injuries have so far been reported in the fire, nor have any structures been lost. Authorities said the smoke level Thursday was “moderate” and weren’t extremely concerning to most people, though that could change.
The fire was first reported just after 11 a.m. Wednesday by a mountain biker, and is burning through trees killed by beetles, and grasslands. It’s unclear at this time how the fire started.
Summit County has also since issued a ban on all open fires.
The Type III Incident Command currently in charge of the fire is expected to transition to a Type I Incident Command team over the next two days. Type I crews are typically called in for the most-challenging fires.
Authorities again reminded people at Thursday’s news conference that there is a temporary flight restriction in place and that drones can’t be flown in the area.
People wanting further information from area authorities are asked to call 970-668-9730 for updates, visit the White River National Forest or Summit County Sheriff’s Office social media sites, or head over to the Inciweb site for the fire.
Another community meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday at Summit Middle School.
The cause of the fire remains unknown at this time.
