LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. — The Pearl Fire burning north of Red Feather Lakes remained at 128 acres Tuesday as containment grew to 5%.
Firefighters focused Tuesday's efforts on the east side of the fire, which is closest to the Crystal Lakes neighborhood.
The wildfire began burning on Monday around 11 a.m. in the Crystal Lakes area. The Larimer County Sheriff's Office determined that the fire originated on private property and was caused by humans.
Firefighters from the Crystal Lakes Fire Protection District and Red Feather Lakes Fire Protection District responded and found a fire about five miles northwest of Red Feather Lakes, according to the sheriff's office. The sheriff's office requested additional fire support, and by the end of Monday, 75 personnel had worked around the fire.
The incident command team ordered air resources on Monday, and fixed-wing air tankers and helicopters dropped water and fire retardant throughout the day.
The U.S. Forest Service took control of the fire from the sheriff's office at 6 a.m. Tuesday.
In a video update Tuesday morning, Mike Smith, incident commander at the fire, thanked all the agencies that did “such a phenomenal job on the attack yesterday." He said aircraft was able to "paint a box" of fire retardant around the flames, which slowed its progress.
Smith explained that Division Z, along the east side of the fire, is where most of the resources went on Monday, and where they will focus on Tuesday. The east side of the fire is where the Crystal Lakes neighborhood is located. Smith said once they feel good about that section of the fire's perimeter, they will move to the north and west sides, which are currently unstaffed because there are no values or infrastructure at risk there.
Officials provided an update on the fire at 4 p.m. The wind had picked up in the half hour beforehand and aircraft had been forced to land. At the press conference, Smith said moisture is expected over the next few days, which will hopefully help, followed by a drying trend when the fire may grow a bit more. If the wind Tuesday does push the fire around, firefighters are ready to respond, he said.
Watch the full press conference below, where officials laid out the priorities for Tuesday and upcoming days.
Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen said after one evacuation order was downgraded from mandatory to voluntary, he hopes to soon allow other residents back to their homes. He added that the sheriff's office has contacted a man who caused the fire and they are busy verifying stories around the fire's origin. No other information was immediately available about this.
In an update Tuesday evening, the Larimer County Sheriff's Office said 125 ground personnel tackled the fire throughout the day Tuesday. Smith said firefighters may gain some containment at the fire by the end of the day Wednesday.
Caleb Harper told Denver7 that he learned about the fire as he was on a return trip from Laramie. He has family that lives in the neighborhood and they had to evacuate — just like they did in 2020 for another wildfire. He said he has high hopes that the firefighters will begin allowing residents back to their homes soon.
Harper said he is hoping for some rain to help the firefighters.
Denver7 sat down with Paul Ostroy, fire management officer with Mountain View Fire Rescue, for insight into how agencies determine their response to wildfires.
Crews in airplanes and helicopters will work Tuesday to secure the fire's perimeter and protect infrastructure, the sheriff's office said. Because the aircraft will use Carter Lake for water, recreation on the lake is limited on Tuesday.
Temperatures will stay low with high humidity throughout the day around the fire. Windy conditions are possible, with gusts reaching up to 30 or 40 mph.
Denver7 has a crew at the scene and will bring live updates at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Denver7.
Evacuations
Multiple evacuations were ordered on Monday. Below is where they currently stand as of Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.:
- Mandatory
- Crystal Lakes, south of Black Mountain and north of Lake Erie
- The area of County Road 86 and County Road 170
- Voluntary
- Lake Erie and Mitchell Ditch area
- Crystal Lakes, north of Black Mountain to the state line
Information Center
The Pearl Fire Joint Information Center opened at 8 a.m. Tuesday. Residents can call 970-980-2500 for information about evacuations and community resources.
To receive up-to-date information on the fire, text "LCEVAC" to 888777.
Evacuation center
An overnight evacuation center was set up at Livermore Community Church, located at 284 W CR74E. Pets are allowed at the church.
Residents can also bring their small animals to NOCO Humane for sheltering. Call them at 970-226-3647 for more details.
A large animal evacuation center was established at The Ranch, located at 5280 Arena Circle, Loveland. To use The Ranch overnight, call the sheriff's office non-emergency line at 970-416-1985.
Responding agencies
Multiple agencies went to the fire to help the Crystal Lakes Fire Protection District, Red Feather Lakes Fire Protection District and the Larimer County Sheriff's Office.
That included Glacier View Fire Protection District, Loveland Fire Rescue Authority, Greeley Fire Department, Platteville Gilcrest Fire, Platte Valley Fire, Frederick-Firestone Fire, Front Range Fire Rescue, Estes Valley Fire Protection District, Livermore Fire Protection District, Berthoud Fire Protection, Poudre Fire Authority, Colorado Division of Fire Protection & Control, Colorado Department of Wildlife and UCHealth EMS.
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.
