Firefighters Work Through The Night To Contain Wildfire
WALDEN, Colo. (CBS4)- Firefighters planned to work through the night on Thursday into Friday morning to try to get the upper hand on a wildfire burning near the Colorado-Wyoming border.
CBS4 cameras were allowed inside the fire line as crews from several states work to contain the fire.
"We pick and choose our battle zones," said firefighter Brian Scott.
The Beaver Creek Fire has been burning two miles south of the Colorado-Wyoming state line since about noon on Sunday. The fire has burned 5,368 acres on Independence Mountain in Routt National Forest, BLM and some private lands.
Scott and his crew traveled from South Dakota to fight the fire.
"Burned through yesterday but it's still burning, some of the pockets of unburned fuels so it's kind of a mosiac," said Scott.
PHOTO GALLERY: Beaver Creek Fire
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The evacuations remain in place and about 40 residences and/or cabins are threatened.
"The biggest challenge is firefighter safety," said Scott.
One firefighter suffered minor injuries on Wednesday night. Crews were positioned around cabins trying to keep them from flames that were whipped up by strong winds.
"A lot of dead material on the ground, on the forest floor, and a spark, this wind can take a spark, drop it into that super dry fuel and it's going to go," said Scott.
The fire is burning in heavy timber with beetle kill, some grass and sage brush.
Four helicopters continue their assault on the flames from above.
"Doing some bucket drops behind us and that helps cool off some of those real hot spots, lets our firefighters do the work on the ground," said Scott.
There are 120 fire personnel fighting the fire with more resources arriving in the coming days.
Wildfire Resources
- Visit CBSDenver.com's Living With Wildfire section.
Wildfire Photo Galleries
- See images from the most destructive wildfires (Black Forest, Waldo Canyon, High Park and Fourmile) and largest wildfire (Hayman) in Colorado history.