DENVER | Snow and cold weather have stalled the growth of a northern Colorado wildfire that exploded in hot, windy weather over the Labor Day weekend, fire managers said Wednesday.
The fire near Red Feather Lakes has burned 160.3 square miles (415 square kilometers), making it one of the largest in Colorado’s history. Temperatures were expected to drop below freezing at the Cameron Peak Fire Wednesday night but warmer, sunnier weather is forecast to return by the weekend. Fire managers have warned the fire, which is 4 percent contained, is expected to flare up again as the temperature rises.
“This is not what we call a season-ending event. We need a series of these to put this thing out,” fire spokesperson Paul Bruggink told the Coloradoan.
Before the weather shifted on Tuesday after a cold air surged into Colorado from Canada, plunging temperatures by around 60 degrees, at least 2,000 people were under mandatory or voluntary evacuations orders because of the fire.