Hundreds of firefighters have halted the growth of the Pearl fire, but rugged terrain and strong winds have grounded firefighting aircraft and challenged crews digging trenches to contain it, authorities said.
Ty Gripp with the U.S. Forest Service’s incident command team said warmer, drier, windier weather is expected Wednesday and crews were again focusing on keeping the fire from spreading and responding quickly to protect homes and businesses if conditions worsen.
On Wednesday, Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen said wind speeds in the area appeared to be growing and could limit air-drops.
“That’s the thing that we’re concerned about today,” Feyen said.
Some evacuation orders have been rescinded, but two areas near Crystal Lakes are still closed. Authorities have warned people west of Red Feather Lakes and those living between Black Mountain and County Road 80C to be ready to evacuate if the fire spreads or conditions worsen.
- The fire is 5 percent contained and has burned about one-quarter of a square mile
- No injuries or major damage has been reported
- The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office said the fire likely started on Sept. 16 on private property and appears to be human-caused
A new evacuation center has been set up at the Livermore Community Church, 284 W. County Road 74E in Livermore.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
