DENVER — Crews have made progress on two of the state's largest wildfires — the 416 Fire burning in Southwestern Colorado and the Buffalo Fire burning near Silverthorne.
The Buffalo Fire is now 95 percent contained, fire officials announced on Sunday.
The Summit County fire was first reported June 12 and had forced thousands out of their homes. But most, if not all, mandatory evacuation orders have been lifted, including homes in the upper Mesa Cortina and Wildernest subdivisions. No structures have been lost.
MAP | Here are the major wildfires currently burning in Colorado
The Buffalo Fire has charred more than 90 acres.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but authorities said Tuesday that there was no weather in the area that could have sparked such a fire, hinting that it was likely human-caused.
416 Fire
416 Fire evacuation orders for the Hermosa area have been lifted, effective immediately. Additionally, pre-evacuation orders from the west side of County Road 203 east to the Animas River from Trimble Lane north through San Juan County have also been lifted.
The Durango Herald reported Sunday that the remnants of Hurricane Bud slowed the growth of the 416 Fire, which is 35 percent contained. Butch Knowlton, director of La Plata County Emergency Management, says the storm that tracked through the Pacific provided the perfect amount of rain in Colorado, helping firefighters increase containment without causing flooding in the burn scar.
The 34,000-acre fire burning near Durango was first reported June 1.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. However, some speculate that the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroadsparked the blaze.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
