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Heavy, wet snow provides temporary relief for Cameron Peak Fire

Fire activity will again be diminished Thursday due to low temperatures and precipitation in the forecast.

LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. — Recent snowfall that fell over the Cameron Peak Fire in Larimer County will lead to minimal fire behavior over the next several days as the snow melts and conditions begin to dry. 

Crews will be working Thursday to construct control lines, mop up around properties, and continue protection efforts along Highway 14, Pingree Park Road, and the Buckhorn Road, including Monument Gulch, according to incident command.

Indirect line construction will also resume Thursday between the fire and the Glacier View, Red Feather Lakes, and Crystal Lakes communities. 

About 1,200 personnel are now assigned to the Cameron Peak Fire, an increase of about 300 firefighters from just a few days ago.

> The video above explains why ash from the Cameron Peak Fire was seen all over the Denver metro area.

Crews took advantage of the temporary, much-needed relief Wednesday to evaluate the new perimeter of the fire for opportunities to construct direct line to contain the fire and hold it to its current footprint. 

Just a few days earlier on Sept. 6, and 7, the fire experienced a "major run" due to extreme heat and dry conditions.

RELATED: Here are all the wildfires burning across Colorado

While current weather conditions have tempered fire behavior, the area will experience a gradual warming and drying trend toward the end of the week with sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s. 

RELATED: Eerie photos show orange skies, falling ash in northern Colorado from Cameron Peak Fire

As the weather turns warmer and drier, fire activity is expected to pick up again later in the week. 

The interactive map below shows the current mandatory and voluntary evacuation areas.

Click/tap here for more on the evacuations

The cause of the fire, which began Aug. 13 and is burning about 25 east of Walden, remains under investigation. It has burned through 102,596 and was 4% contained as of Thursday morning.

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