Cameron Peak Fire Forces New Evacuations Friday Morning
LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - The Cameron Peak Fire burning in Larimer County forced new mandatory evacuations early Friday morning. Just before 6 a.m., the Larimer County Sheriff's Office ordered mandatory evacuations for the Pingree Park/Monument Gulch area. About two hours later, officials ordered mandatory evacuations for County Road 44H (the Buckhorn Road) to County Road 27 (the Stove Prairie Road).
Officials said increased fire activity put people in those areas in "immediate and imminent danger."
"Evacuate the area immediately and as quickly as possible. Do not delay leaving to gather belongings or make efforts to protect your home or business," officials stated.
The Cameron Peak fire, which started Aug. 13, is burning 25 miles east of Walden and 15 miles southwest of Red Feather Lakes. It has burned more than 131,000 acres -- making it one of the biggest wildfires in Colorado history. The Hayman Fire burned 137,760 acres in 2002 and the Pine Gulch fire burned 139,007 acres earlier this year.
The wildfire is currently 44% contained. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The National Weather Service issued a Fire Weather Watch for this weekend for a large part of the state that includes the area where the Cameron Peak Fire is burning.