Stuart Hole Fire burning northwest of Livermore

A fire that began Monday afternoon has been blown by gusty winds to more than 200 acres near the Halligan Reservoir, northwest of Livermore, as of 8 p.m.

Thirteen homes in the Boxer Ranch Subdivision along Boxer Ranch Road have been evacuated ahead of the Stuart Hole Fire. Residents of an additional 53 homes in the area north and south of Larimer County Road 82E from County Road 80C to County Road 67J remain on alert and should be prepared to evacuate if necessary.

An evacuation center has been set up at Livermore Community Hall at 1985 W. County Road 74E, about 1.5 miles from The Forks. Large animals and livestock may be taken to The Ranch, the Larimer County fairgrounds complex in Loveland. Pets and small animals can be taken to the Larimer Humane Society in Fort Collins.

The Stuart Hole Fire was first reported about 12:30 p.m. It is burning grass and ponderosa pine in rugged terrain and has damaged one structure of unknown type, according to Larimer County Sheriff’s Department spokesman John Schulz. It remained uncontained Monday evening, while the 65 personnel on scene concentrate on structure protection.

A single-engine tanker plane and a light helicopter have assisted firefighters, with a heavy air tanker and heavy helicopter expected to be on scene in the morning along with additional firefighters.

There have been no injuries and the cause of the blaze is not known at this time.

For complete information on this emergency, go to the county’s emergency services website at www.larimer.org/emergency/emergency_detail.cfm?nam_id=83.

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