Beaver Creek Fire Has Burned Over 20,000 Acres, Another Red Flag Warning Issued
The Beaver Creek Fire burning roughly 24 miles north of Walden, Colo. and now in southern Wyoming continues to grow, though at a slower pace than it did over the weekend.
Fire managers reported the blaze at 20,107 acres in size Wednesday morning. A total of 231 firefighters are assigned to the fire; air attacks throughout Wednesday will include three helicopters as well as a fixed-wing aircraft.
A red flag warning for the fire area was issued at 10 a.m. and will remain in effect until 10 p.m. Wednesday evening. Fire managers report humidity in the low teens and gusty winds of up to 30 mph.
The management team says the fire "has shown a high resistance to control," continuing to advance slowly in heavy dead and down timber when the wind is relatively tame.
Engines continue to patrol the 600 Road and Parsons Draw. Crews are fanning out from the fire's edge into Wyoming in search of areas where firefighters could directly engage the flames with a high probability of success.
Crews also continue to look for buildings that need protection.
"The fire continues to be managed under a full suppression strategy utilizing indirect tactics," fire managers say in a news release. "This involves being prepared to engage the fire when it moves out of the heavy timber into aspen stands, sagebrush and grass where it is safer for firefighters."
No firefighter injuries have been reported.