Beaver Creek

Fire managers say the fire had burned 18,787 acres as of Monday morning, including over 11,000 acres on the Routt National Forest.

Fire managers say any ember hitting the ground Sunday has an 80-90 percent chance of igniting.

According to fire managers, the Jackson County Sheriff's Office asked the few remaining residents in Parsons Draw to leave well ahead of the fire's advance.

Crews are working to protect structures in the Wheeler Creek and Parsons Draw areas, faced with the possibility that the fire could move further east.

Firefighters, now numbering 514 in total, will not directly engage the fire in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness area, opting instead to patrol and assist Forest Service staff in keeping recreationists apprised of the area closure.

Troup torching and crowning kept up into the early hours of Tuesday, a period that typically sees less intense fire activity.

Engine crews worked Monday to prepare to defend buildings in the face of advancing flames. Crews are building contingency lines in places that give them the best shot at success.

Aaron Voos of the U.S. Forest Service says it may sound odd, but the fire may never be 100 percent contained.

"It's just not safe to put these firefighters right up against that fire," Sanchez says, citing hazards posed by the high percentage of beetle kill where the fire continues to burn.

Flames now threaten about 40 structures. Mandatory evacuations ordered Tuesday remain in place.