LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. — The Kruger Rock Fire did not grow in size Friday but firefighters reached 85% containment on the fire, and all evacuation notices were lifted.
The fire south of Estes Park remained at 147 acres as of 6:30 p.m. Friday — the same size it was on Thursday night, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
The area around the fire stayed breezy Thursday evening, but firefighters saw "minimal fire behavior" throughout the night, the USFS said.
On Friday, the Larimer County Sheriff's Office closed the joint information center for the fire. There is no plans to reopen it.
While windy conditions persisted at the fire throughout the day, including gusts between 30 and 46 miles per hour, there was minimal fire behavior, the Forest Service said.
Firefighters built and secured more fire lines and continued mop-up efforts. Those efforts will continue Saturday, and aircraft will be brought in to support them if weather permits. The Forest Service said the area could see dustings of snow on Saturday and Sunday nights, with another chance of snow in the forecast Tuesday night.
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The fire started around 7 a.m. Tuesday after high winds blew a tree onto a nearby power line, according to the Larimer County Sheriff's Office.
On Friday at noon, voluntary evacuations were lifted for the areas south of Meadowdale Lane to the Boulder County line, the area of Little Valley Drive, and the area west of Kruger Rock to Fish Creek Road. In addition, mandatory evacuations were downgraded to voluntary status for the area of Meadowdale Lane north to Hermit Park and west to Kruger Rock and later lifted.
All evacuation notices had been lifted as of 6:30 p.m. but closures within the national forest and Rocky Mountain National Park will remain in place for the time being.
The map below shows mandatory evacuations in red and voluntary evacuations in yellow. (You can zoom in by double clicking.)
For emergency updates in Larimer County, text LCEVAC to 888777, or call 970-980-2500.
