High Park Fire – Monday Morning Update [8:45 a.m.]

Smoke was very thick all along the front range yesterday from the High Park Fire west of Fort Collins. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued a smoke advisory for Northern Colorado that has been extended into today. The High Park Fire is now 58,046 acres and remains 45% contained. There is another RED FLAG WARNING for today until 9:00 p.m. This means high winds, low humidity and warm temperatures.

Here is the latest from the Larimer County Sheriff's Department:

Evacuations

In anticipation of the potential gusty winds predicted with the Red Flag warning, a new mandatory evacuation order was issued for the Hewlett Gulch Subdivision.  This evacuation included:

• Hewlett Gulch Road
• Swan
• Snow Cliff Road
• Deer Meadow Way
• Star View Drive
• Gobbler's Knob Court
• Happy Jack Road
• Sara Lane
• Mount Mahogany
• Rainbows End
• Weatherbird Way
• Red Tail Trail
• Gordon Creek Lane
• Wild Mountain Lane

96 notices were sent out regarding this new evacuation.  This area runs from the West at Glacier view 9-12th Filings that have already been evacuated, East to Hewlett Gulch Trail, North to County Road 74E (Redfeather Lakes Road) and South to Highway 14 (Poudre Canyon Road). Residents should also be advised to use caution while driving because of heavy smoke in the area.

Evacuation orders have been issued for the Soldier Canyon and Mill Canyon areas which includes Lodgepole Dr and County Rd 23 west and south including Red Cedar Dr, and east to County Rd 23. There were 331 notifications sent in this area.

Pre-Evacuation orders were issued for the Shoreline Road area south of Lory State Park, with the southern border being County Rd 38E, eastern border to be Horsetooth Reservoir and west to Red Stone Canyon.  Residents in these areas were put on a 2 hour-notice. 473 notifications sent.

Fire Behavior:

A RED FLAG WARNING was issued for the fire area from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and wind gusts up to 50 mph were experienced.  In addition, relative humidity was only in the 3-4% range.   In preparation for the forecast, a significant number of fire personnel were assigned to securing lines on the northern perimeter.  Despite this difficult forecast, the existing lines in place did hold.  Some crews on the NW side were able to be re-deployed to the SE side to help where the fire was most active due to the winds.

The fire did burn approximately 1,000 acres of unburned area on the SE side of the fire in the Laurence Creek Lane and Redstone area.

Smoke in the Fort Collins area did increase today due to shifting winds from the NW.  The smoke was originating from the interior of the west flank of the fire.

Many unburned areas inside the current fire area as well as along the perimeter were active from the wind activity.
There were 1,748 personnel, 113 engines, 17 helicopters working the fire today; however, both light and heavy helicopters were grounded earlier in the afternoon due to high winds of 30-50 miles an hour.

The Red Cross opened an additional evacuation center at Cache la Poudre middle school, providing food and shelter for evacuees. In addition, laundry facilities have been made available at The Ranch for evacuees from 8:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. daily.

Residents worried about looting in the fire area should be reassured there is a very strong law enforcement and National Guard presence to deter any such activity.  There have been no confirmed reports of looting to date.

Increased roving patrols and deployment of mobile surveillance equipment has been ordered after the arrest of Michael Maher, DOB: 092481, for Impersonating a Fireman and other charges.

Here is the link for the latest updated map for the High Park Fire!

Smoke Advisory Today

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued a smoke advisory for Northern Colorado that has been extended into today. According to the agency, the alert will last through 4 p.m. for residents of Loveland, Fort Collins and Greeley. The agency says that if visibility is less than five miles, smoke has reached levels that are unhealthy.
Structures damaged:

Structure protection continues to be a top priority as well as reinforcing lines already built. Officials are informing homeowners about fire damage as it becomes available and the priority is getting this information to residents first. To date, 181 homes have been verified as lost/destroyed.

The assessment and recovery team continues their efforts to identify specific addresses of damaged or destroyed
Residents who live in areas where property damage has been confirmed can call 970-619-4086 to find out the status of their home. This phone line will be staffed from 8:00 a.m. from 5:00 p.m. until further notice and messages can be left.

Additional evacuation areas are still being evaluated to determine when residents may re-enter. Factors being considered before lifting an evacuation include utility repair, emergency traffic in the area and road hazards such as falling rock and trees in the roadway.

Road Closure Information:

• Hwy 14 (Poudre Canyon) is closed from Rustic to Gateway Park.
• 25E (Redstone Canyon) is closed at intersection of 38E.
• CR 27 (Stove Prairie Road) from Big Bear Road to Hwy 14.
• CR 44H (Buckhorn Rd) from CR27 west.
• CR 52E (Rist Canyon Rd) Stove Prairie to Bellvue
• CR 23 North near North Horsetooth Reservoir (South Centennial/CR23 is open)
• Forest Service Rd 152 (Old Flowers Road)
• Road off 74E including Many Thunders Road, Eiger Road, Green Mountain Road and Gate 1
• CR63E Pingree Park Road and Crown Point Road from Hwy 14
• Roads south of CR74E are closed. This includes areas south and east of McNay Hill, Hewlett Gulch Road, Deer Meadow Way, Gordon Creek Lane and all connecting roads in that area.

Open Roads with Restricted Access:

• Roads in the area of CR27 are open from Masonville to Big Bear Road to residents only. (Excludes Otter Road).
• CR29C and McMurray Ranch Road.
• Hwy 14 from Hwy 287 to Gateway Park - Residents Only.

Cause of fire:

Lightning has been confirmed as the cause of the fire.

How To Get Help:

• Larimer County opened the High Park Fire Disaster Recovery Center onFriday, June 15, at Johnson Hall on the Colorado State University Campus.  The center will be open Mon-Fri from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  This center will remain open for the next 3-4 weeks to help residents affected by the High Park Fire.  For more information about the Disaster Recovery Center and the High Park Fire, visit our website at www.larimer.org/highparkfire.

• The Lions Club of Northeast Colorado is offering assistance for families who are victims of the High Park Fire.  Assistance is available for the purchase of food, clothing, medicine, and other daily needs.  Contact Lion Ron at (970) 817-0071 or Lion Dave at (970) 222-6503.

To Help or to Volunteer

• Call 2-1-1 or call the Larimer County United Way at (970) 407-7066 or HelpColoradoNow.org

• The NoCo Rebuilding Network has established an emergency fund to support community members directly affected by the High Park Fire. They are in critical need of financial support.  100% of the funds collected will be allocated to those whose homes have been significantly impacted by the fire and decide to sustainably rebuild in Larimer County.  To donate online, visit www.NoCoRebuilding.org

More information can be found at:

Public information is available at the Larimer County Emergency Information line at 970-498-5500 where Information Officers are answering the phone, and at larimer.org or on Twitter @larimersheriff, or Inciweb .

Residents can sign up to receive emergency notifications on cell phones or email at www.leta911.org .