The High Park Fire has been burning for a week, having been caused by lightning and first reported near dawn on June 9 in the area of Paradise Park. It has consumed 54,230 acres — 85 square miles, larger than Toledo, Ohio — and ended the day with 20 percent containment. The western edge continues to grow, with the southern and eastern lines holding.
According to the Larimer County Sheriff’s Department, 1,553 personnel, 103 engines, 16 helicopters and 2 Blackhawks were working the fire today with additional help expected.
After moving the fire evacuation center to Loveland to avoid thick smoke that blanketed LaPorte earlier in the week, the Red Cross reopened an additional center at Cache la Poudre Middle School, 3515 W. County Road 54G, at 8 p.m. Friday. It will provide food, shelter and other services for evacuees, especially those from the Glacier View area. The shelter at The Ranch at I-25 and Crossroads Boulevard will remain open as well.
The evacuation order for the residents of Santanka Trail at the north end of Horsetooth Reservoir has been lifted. Residents on Davis Ranch, Laurence Creek/Redstone area, Buckhorn Road (CR44H), Stove Prairie Road and Rist Canyon will learn about the status of their homes at Saturday’s 3 p.m. citizen briefing at The Ranch.
The Red Cross and many other agencies are partnering with Larimer County at the Disaster Recovery Center in Johnson Hall on the Colorado State University campus. A volunteer explains some of the services available in this video. The DRC will be open Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. More information is available at the county’s website, www.larimer.org, or Larimer County Emergency Information line at 970-498-5500.
The current cost of fighting the fire is now estimated at $9.1 million.