Part of Redstone Canyon, Red Feather Lakes Road reopened

The Larimer County Sheriff’s Department notified residents living along Larimer County Road 25E — North Redstone Canyon Road — up to and including Christ Mountain Road, Clear Ridge Road, Roan Mountain Road, Red Canyon Ranch Road and roads running off of Red Canyon Ranch Road they could home beginning at 3 p.m. Tuesday. They will not need special passes to gain access to the area, which remains on pre-evacuation status.

A section of County Road 74E — Red Feather Lakes Road — from County Road 37 west to Maxwell Ranch Road has been reopened and residents may return to the area without the need for credentials.

Red Feather Lakes Road is currently open from U.S. Highway 287 to the Maxwell Ranch Road — the Lone Pine Trailhead parking area — at mile marker 8. The latest information on road closures is at larimersheriff.org/site-page/high-park-fire-road-information.

Fire officials hope to allow residents of Rist Canyon to return on Thursday, June 28. Residents should attend the daily citizens’ briefing at 5 p.m. at Cache La Poudre Middle School in LaPorte to confirm the status of evacuations.

The sheriff’s department earlier today announced that nine additional homes have been confirmed destroyed by the High Park Fire, bringing the total to 257, including 53 lost in Glacier View filings 9 and 12. These homes burned earlier in the course of the fire, but have only now been confirmed as lost. A complete list of the number of homes confirmed destroyed by neighborhood can be found at www.inciweb.org/incident/article/2904/14316/

Horsetooth Mountain Open Space, including Horsetooth Mountain Open Space Trailhead and Soderberg Trailhead, also reopened to the public on Tuesday. County Road 23 — Centennial Drive — on the east side of Horsetooth Reservoir is open, and the reservoir is open to camping, boating, swimming at both Sunrise and South Bay swim beaches and other day use areas. No campfires, no charcoal allowed.

All areas of Satanka Cove, at the north end of Horsetooth Reservoir, remain closed to access by both land and water. Boating on the north end of the reservoir will be restricted indefinitely in support of helicopter use for the High Park fire. Buoys will be in place noting restricted areas on the water.

Eagle’s Nest Open Space remains temporarily closed to public use.

Any status changes for recreational areas will be posted at www.larimer.org/naturalresources.

Fundraisers for firefighters and survivors of the High Park Fire continue this week. After raising $6,000 for the Red Cross, Larimer County Humane Society, NoCo Rebuilding Network and Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department at Avogadro’s Number last week, community radio station KFRC 88.9FM will be throwing another event this Wednesday, June 27, at 7 p.m. Also at Avo’s, 605 S. Mason St. in Fort Collins, this version features local bands The Holler!, Matt Skinner Trio and Cary Morin. The silent auction will give attendees a chance to bid on fine art, CDs and other exciting items donated by artists and businesses from as far away as Boulder. The suggested $10 donation at the door includes a beer from Odell Brewing.

Ticket sales from Thursday night’s performance of “Buffalo Gal” at Bas Bleu Theater, 401 Pine St., will benefit the RCVFD. Purchase tickets online at www.basbleu.org.

The band Barely Gettin’ By will be playing from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 30, at Jax Ranch and Home, 1000 N. U.S. Highway 287, to benefit RCVFD.

The fire was estimated Tuesday morning at 87,250 acres with 55 percent containment — 136.3 square miles, nearly the size of Mesa, Arizona. The current cost of the fire to date is estimated at 31.5 million dollars. There are 1,941 fire personnel assigned to the firefighting effort.