LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. — Firefighters held onto the perimeter of the Alexander Mountain Fire overnight into Monday, ensuring the fire did not grow as they continue the work to increase containment.
The fire, which started Monday, July 29, has burned 9,668 acres and is 54% contained. It is located near Drake along Highway 34, west of Loveland. It is the largest wildfire currently burning in Colorado.
Southwest Area Incident Management Team 1, which currently has command of the firefighting efforts, said that while the fire will likely creep and smolder Monday, "no perimeter growth is expected."
Most evacuation orders were cleared or downgraded to voluntary status on Sunday. As of then, about 1,100 contacts remained under a mandatory evacuation. At noon Monday, mandatory evacuations were downgraded to pre-evacuations for residents along Highway 34 from west of the Dam Store to just west of Idlewild Lane. In addition, pre-evacuation notices have been lifted for Sylvan Dale Ranch, Eden Valley Sunrise Ranch, and the Bobcat Natural Area.
For people who live where the evacuations were lifted, re-entry credentialing will begin Monday. For detailed information about returning to homes and the credentialing process, click here.
The fire has destroyed 45 structures, which includes 25 homes and 20 outbuildings.
On Monday, firefighters will focus on the Cedar Park area and extinguishing any hot pockets. Crews will begin this process near structures and make their way in to secure the perimeter, according to the incident management team. About 625 people are working at the scene Monday.
"Though isolated pockets may continue to smoke, control lines are expected to hold," the team said. "The probability of ignition continues to drop as humidity increases."
The team noted that gusty winds on Monday afternoon could increase the fire's behavior. Those gusts may come with showers and thunderstorms.
Later this week, cooler temperatures and widespread rain is expected, which may increase the risk of flash flooding and debris flows downhill of burned areas, especially in steep terrain.
The cause of the Alexander Mountain Fire remains under investigation, though Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen said investigative teams found signs over the weekend of both human activity and lightning strikes where the fire apparently started.
Anybody with information about how it started is asked to call the U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement Tip Line at 303-275-5266. The voicemail system had a technical issue, so anybody who called prior to 3 p.m. on Friday is asked to call again. In addition, anybody with photos or videos showing the origin of the fire is asked to submit them here.
For the latest on evacuations and road closures for the Alexander Mountain Fire, visit Nocoalert.org or text LCEVAC to 888777. You can also call the Joint Information Center at 970-980-2500.
Wildfires are now a year-round threat in Colorado. Denver7 is committed to covering their impact and the people working to find solutions to the threat.
