EAGLE COUNTY, Colo. — Favorable weather conditions including a small amount of moisture helped crews battling the Sylvan Fire, but that relief is expected to be short-lived as warmer, drier conditions are expected to return early next week.
There is still no containment on the 3,752-acre fire that has closed Sylvan Lake State Park and has led to evacuation and pre-evacuation orders in Eagle and Pitkin counties.
The Sylvan Fire is believed to have been sparked by lightning on Sunday afternoon. It is burning in an area popular for outdoor recreation about 16 miles south of Eagle, and a plume of smoke is visible in much of the surrounding area.
When the fire made a run during hot windy weather on June 22, a Type I Incident Management Team was ordered. That team arrived and assumed command of the fire at 6 a.m. on June 24.
Nearly 200 firefighters are now responding to the Sylvan Fire.
Smoke from this fire and others burning in Colorado has made for poor air quality along the Front Range this week.
The following areas have been closed and evacuated due to the Sylvan Fire:
- Fulford
- Sylvan Lake State Park
- Crooked Creek Pass
- Yeoman Park
- The Lede Reservoir area
- Hardscrabble
- Hat Creek
- Peter Estin Hut
Sylvan Lake Road is closed and Brush Creek Road is closed at Hardscrabble Road, according to Eagle County’s emergency management system.
The following areas are under pre-evacuation orders:
- Frost Creek
- Salt Creek
- Brush Creek
The Upper Frying Pan River areas from the Ruedi Dam to Hagerman pass, including Meredith and Thomasville.
Late Wednesday, crews had successfully constructed a direct fire line around the 20-30 acres of the fire that had crossed West Brush Creek Road. The crews have received aid from three heavy helicopters and a light helicopter.
Incident managers said fire crews are working east of Crooked Creek Park to keep the fire from moving farther south, and to contain the heel of the fire on the north side.
Due to these efforts, people should be aware of increased fire traffic in the downtown Eagle area. The crews will be based out of Eagle Valley Middle School.
For information about pre-evacuation notices, visit:
Eagle County: www.ecemergency.org
Pitkin County: www.pitkincounty.com
The map below is from the closure area for the fire:
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Latest from 9NEWS