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Cameron Peak Fire containment grows to 30%, acreage still at 125,006

Cameron Peak Fire
Posted at 4:05 PM, Oct 01, 2020
and last updated 2020-10-01 18:07:42-04

LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. — Crews grew containment on the Cameron Peak Fire to 30% by Thursday morning, up from 22%, after a day of good weather conditions allowed firefighters to attack the sprawling fire more directly.

The fire in western Larimer County was at 125,006 acres on Thursday, holding steady from its acreage Wednesday.

Hand crews worked with air support to attack stretches of the fire in the Long Draw area and on the northwest side of the fire. On Thursday, crews were expected to extend fire lines along the perimeter of the fire and protect structures in the area.

Dry fuels and shifting winds remained a concern Thursday.

Wildfire smoke from the Cameron Peak Fire and Mullen Fire, along with other western wildfires, created poor air quality conditions across Colorado’s Front Range Wednesday.

Multiple mandatory and voluntary evacuations, as well as road closures, are in place around the Cameron Peak Fire. However, in some good news, Old Fall River Road in Rocky Mountain reopened Wednesday after closing on Sept. 5 due to the fire. However, there is still smoke in the area. Visitors should still check weather and fire conditions before making plans to explore the backcountry.

The following locations and trails are still closed in the park:

  • Commanche Peak Trail
  • Mummy Pass Trail
  • Mirror Lake Trail
  • Poudre River Trail
  • Crater Trail
  • Colorado River Trail
  • Red Mountain Trail
  • Grand Ditch Access
  • Skeleton Gulch Trail
  • Thunder Pass Trail
  • Little Yellowstone Trail
  • Holzwarth Historic Site access beyond the historic site
  • Closed cross country travel zones: Cascade Creek, Cache La Poudre, South Cache La Poudre, Hague Creek and Mosquito Creek
  • Multiple wilderness campsites

Click here for a full list of evacuations, or explore the map below.

To sign up for emergency alerts in Larimer County, visit NOCO Alert's website here. For updates for people who have been forced to evacuate, text the word LCEVAC to 888777 from your cell phone.

The fire is the third-largest in Colorado history.

The state's 10 largest wildfires in history, ranked by acreage, are

:1. Pine Gulch Fire (2020): 139,007 acres
2. Hayman Fire (2002): 137,760 acres
3. Cameron Peak Fire (2020): 125,006 acres
4. Spring Fire (2018): 108,045 acres
5. High Park Fire (2012): 87,284 acres
6. Missionary Ridge Fire (2002): 72,962 acres
7. 416 Fire (2018): 54,000 acres
8. Bridger Fire (2008): 45,800 acres
9. Last Chance Fire (2012): 45,000 acres
10. Bear Springs/Callie Marie fires (2011): 44,662 acres

Note: The Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center said the West Fork Complex fire, which burned a total of 109,632 acres in 2013, is not included on this list since it involved three separate fires.

The fire started Aug. 13 in the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests near Cameron Pass and Chambers Lake. Its cause is under investigation.

A statewide open fire ban is in effect for all of Colorado through Oct. 7.