All evacuations for the Galena Fire will be lifted at 8 p.m. on March 16. Residents in the affected area will remain on pre-evacuation and should be prepared to leave again if necessary. No credentials will be needed. Residents are asked to drive with caution. While roadblocks will be taken down, deputies will remain in the area to control traffic.
All pre-evacuation notices are still in effect for those areas previously notified.
The evacuation center at Cache La Poudre school has now been closed.
A Type 3 fire management team took over management of the fire this morning with Tony Simons of the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Services as the Incident Commander.
There was no significant growth on the north, south or east sides of the fire today although some movement was seen on the west side of the fire.
The fire remains at approximately 750-1,000 acres with 45 percent containment. Approximately 110 firefighters are on scene.
No structures have been damaged and there have been no injuries.
A type 2 helicopter was utilized today and will be available tomorrow. A second type 2 helicopter is on order for tomorrow.
The cause of the fire has been determined to be human caused but the details are still under investigation. Investigators have determined the fire was not caused by a controlled or prescribed burn.
Lory State Park, Horsetooth Mountain Park, Inlet Bay and South Bay remain closed.
There will be night patrols on the fire tonight. We expect to see significant activity in the interior of the fire with active flames, some tree torching and lots of smoke.
There was little or no precipitation on the fire today. Winds are expected to pick up tonight and are predicted to be 20-30 miles per hour tomorrow which will result in increased smoke in the Fort Collins area.
The Galena Fire Information Center will remain open until 6:00 p.m. tonight and will not reopen unless there is a significant change in conditions. Updated information will continue to be available via a recording at the 970-498-5500 information line.
No additional press briefings are planned unless conditions change.