The fire has burned down to Highway 230 on the south and has established itself on Sheep Mountain on the east. Highway 230 and Fox Creek Road are both closed due to the blaze.
The Squirrel Creek Fire started in the Squirrel Creek drainage area on the Medicine Bow National Forest. It was discovered Saturday around 1 p.m. and is actively burning in beetle-killed timber. Red Flag Warning conditions and exceptionally dry fuels are contributing to active burning and fire growth.
Ground crews worked into the night on Sunday to protect structures and complete burnout operations in order to remove unburned fuels. Air resources also worked to slow the fire's growth over the weekend.
On Sunday fire personnel assisted the Sheriff's Department in evacuating residents and the public from the Fox Creek Road area. The Albany County Sheriff's Office issued evacuation notices for all residents along the Fox Creek Road and from Jelm Mountain on the south, north along Sheep Mountain and all the way to Highway 130. This includes the west side of Highway 230, the community of Woods Landing and Jelm, as well as Sheep Mountain, up to Lake Hattie. Pre-evacuation notices remain in effect for residents of Fox Park and Albany. Multiple Code Red messages have been sent to residents of these areas.
Currently there are several engines, a Type II Initial Attack crew, and misc. air resources assisting with the fire. Additional crews and air resources have been ordered. A Type 3 Incident Management Team is currently managing the fire and a National Incident Management Team will take over the fire on Tuesday morning as a Type II incident.
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