LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. — While recent cooler temperatures have helped firefighters battle the Cameron Peak Fire, officials said more structures were damaged or destroyed late last week.
A total of 41 structures sustained damage last week:
- Highway 14 between the Fish Hatchery and Rustic – Five residential structures and eight other structures were destroyed.
- Manhattan Road area – Two residential structures and five other structures were destroyed. One other structure sustained major damage.
- Boy Scout Ranch Road area – One residential structure, one other structure, and 17 business structures were destroyed. One business structure sustained major damage. The business structures belong to the Shambhala Mountain Center. None of the residential structures were primary residences.
The Larimer County Damage Assessment Team (DAT) completed its assessments and owners with confirmed damage have been notified, the Larimer County Sheriff's Office said.
Before last week, 25 residential structures and 29 outbuildings had already been destroyed in the fire, the Larimer County Sheriff's Office said.
Firefighters on Wednesday will work to further buffer and secure the perimeter of the fire, which has burned through 125,006 acres and is 22% contained.
The Cameron Peak Fire is now the third-largest wildfire in Colorado history. More than 950 fire personnel are on scene battling the fire.
The Northwest Incident Management Team 6 assumed authority over the Cameron Peak Fire on Tuesday morning.
Evacuations
Cameron Peak fire officials ordered mandatory evacuations on Friday, Sept. 25 for Glacier View filings, the Red Feather Highlands subdivision and the Lady Moon area due to "immediate and imminent danger."
Residents who live there were told to evacuate the area immediately and as quickly as possible. An evacuation center was set up at La Porte-Cache Poudre Middle School gymnasium at 3515 Co Road 54G in Laporte.
Voluntary evacuation orders were also issued Friday, Sept. 25 for Buckhorn Road (County Road 44H) from Pennock Pass to County Road 27 due to increased fire behavior.
A map of current evacuation areas is below:
The wildfire was active Friday, Sept. 25 and Saturday, Sept. 26 increasing on the north side of Comanche Reservoir, according to the operations team. Dry and windy conditions have lead to higher fire danger in Colorado.
The fire was first reported on Aug. 13 east of Walden. A lot of its growth occurred over Labor Day weekend when extreme and winds combined for explosive growth.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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