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Beaver Creek Fire near Walden grows to 13,275 acres, now 5 percent contained

Posted at 9:56 AM, Jun 28, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-01 00:15:06-04

The Beaver Creek Fire, burning between Walden and the Wyoming border, has grown to 13,275 acres.

Officials say that overnight rain did not suppress the fire, but did decrease the intensity that firefighters have seen over the last few days.

"Firefighters expect to see smoldering and creeping fire behavior today," the Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team reported on Thursday.

Later in the evening, officials said the fire was now five percent contained. 

The Incident Management Team stated in a release that crews will continue to focus on protecting structures in the Wheeler Creek and Parsons Draw areas in the event the fire moves further east.

Structures in advance of the fire will be prepared by removing brush and debris, setting up sprinklers to raise humidity in the area and using heat radiant reflective on the exterior of the structure, according to the Management Team.

The fire continues to burn in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness area according the the Incident Management Team.

Crews will be monitoring the fire's movement and assist the Forest Service in notifying the public of area closures. Firefighters will not directly engage the fire, the Incident Management Team said in a release.

Additional rain is expected in the area of the fire on Thursday with cooler temperatures.

Officials said on Tuesday, one civilian was hurt near the fire line, but they didn't say how. That civilian was taken to the hospital. The person's condition was not released.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office announced that two outbuildings have been lost in the fire.

The cause of the Beaver Creek Fire remains under investigation.

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