Larimer County Road 74E — Red Feather Lakes Road — is now closed at mile marker 9 from U.S. Highway 287 at The Forks to Boy Scout Ranch Road to facilitate the evacuation of all residents of Glacier View filings 1 through 8. This includes residences north of County Road 74E, including Green Mountain Drive, Mount Axtell Drive, Mount Moriah Road, Mount Simon Drive and all connecting roadways in that area. Residents of Red Feather Lakes and Crystal Lakes need to use Cherokee Park Road (County Road 80C) for access to their homes.
The evacuation was ordered about 3 p.m. after winds blew the High Park Fire up Stevens Gulch north of the Poudre River. Fire crews were pulled out of the area because of the intensity of the flames, which by 4 p.m. were within a quarter mile of Deer Meadow Way. Law enforcement were going to residences in the evacuation area where the residents had no phone service to receive the notice. Glacier View had been on pre-evacuation alert since filings 9-12 were evacuated last week.
An hour earlier, the Hewlett Gulch Road area was re-evacuated, including Deer Meadow Way, Gordon Creek Lane and all connecting roadways, as well as North Rim Road and the small roads off it, including Hidden Canyon Drive, Willow Mountain Court, Elkhorn House Road and Deep Cut Road.
Residents were asked to evacuate to The Ranch at I-25 and Crossroads Boulevard in Loveland.
This morning, the High Park Fire was estimated at 68,440 acres with 60 percent containment. Fire chiefs were concerned that the red flag warning issued for the area beginning at noon Friday would bring stronger, erratic winds that could create spot fires in previously unburned areas.
More information is available the Larimer County Emergency Information line at 970-498-5500 where information officers are answering the phone during the day and evening, at www.larimer.org, on Twitter @larimersheriff or Inciweb at www.inciweb.org/incident/2904/.