SUMMIT COUNTY, Colo. — The evacuations for the Ptarmigan Fire in the upper Angler Mountain and the upper and lower Hamilton Creek neighborhoods will be lifted Thursday at 10 a.m., according to the Summit County sheriff.
Sheriff Jaime FitzSimon made the announcement during a town hall Wednesday at 6 p.m. saying there is still a fire risk in the area, but they feel comfortable letting people back into their homes.
The following areas will also remain under pre-evacuation:
- County Road 2020
- East and uphill of County Road 2020
- North of County Road 2021, including Daley Ranch
- Fly Line Drive
- Bald Eagle Road
- South 40 neighborhood
Only credentialed residents will be allowed into the areas through two checkpoints. Credentialing of residents will resume Thursday and Friday morning from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Silverthorne Town Hall.
FitzSimon asked residents to remain alert in case conditions change. Residents are also asked to not engage with fire crews as they continue their work.
Eric White, the incident commander, said fire crews made good progress Wednesday. After a helicopter flight to assess the fire, it was determined it is safe enough to engage firefighters directly onto the fire line. White said there will likely still be activity in the area for a couple of weeks as crews continue their work.
The rain has not extinguished the fire, but it has helped reduce fire activity, which allowed firefighters to make good progress building containment lines on the southern and western flanks Wednesday.
The Ptarmigan Fire is most recently estimated to be at 85 acres. White said there has been some growth since the latest estimate but called it “negligible” during the 6 p.m. update.
The fire is currently 0% contained, but White believes they’ll be able to provide an update on containment Thursday.
The fire sparked near Silverthorne Monday evening. The cause remains under investigation.
A public hotline is set up: 970-668-9700.
Click here to sign up for emergency alerts in Summit County.
Summit County Commissioner Josh Blanchard said anybody wanting to offer donations to help emergency personnel canmake a cash contribution through the Red Cross.
A joint fire command including Summit Fire & EMS, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Forest Service is managing the fire.The social media accounts and websites for Summit County,Summit County Sheriff's Office,Summit Fire & EMS, theTown of Silverthorne and theU.S. Forest Service will also post updates. Wednesday’s 6 p.m. community meeting was the last unless conditions change.
Recreational access to Ptarmigan Peak and Angler Mountain are closed.
Officials say not fly drones in the area as it interferes with aerial firefighting.
