28.03.2024

No New Growth On Buffalo Fire Burning Near Silverthorne

Firefighters say there was no new growth on the Buffalo Fire overnight. The fire remains at 91 acres but is zero percent contained on Wednesday morning.

Evacuated residents were allowed to go to their homes for a short time to gather what they need before leaving again.

Crews remain vigilant for new embers. They say the biggest reason why they’ve been able to keep the fire from moving into the subdivisions are “fuel breaks” that were put in place over the last several years.

“Without a doubt, this is a serious situation, but wildfire is a reality that we live with here in the western United States”, said White River National Forest Supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams in a statement. “The good news is that all the right people are here, and we’re attacking the fire aggressively, with firefighter and public safety as the top priority.”

buffalo fire 7 No New Growth On Buffalo Fire Burning Near Silverthorne

On Wednesday, hand crews will work to build a control line in the beetle-kill trees and work with air operations. There are 150 firefighters battling the wildfire.

buffalo fire 31 No New Growth On Buffalo Fire Burning Near Silverthorne

Firefighters will continue mop-up efforts to secure the perimeter of the Mesa Cortina and Wildernest neighborhoods. Large portions of those neighborhoods remain under evacuation, with 1,384 residences under the evacuation order. The pre-evacuation area, Mesa Cortina and Wildernest below Twenty Grand, contains about 1,160 residences.

“Things looked good last night, and the fire did not grow”, said Summit Fire & EMS Chief Jeff Berino in a statement. “This has been a great team effort all around, and we are deeply appreciative of all the agencies who have come together to help out. We realize that this is an inconvenience, especially for the evacuees, so we ask for patience and understanding that our primary goal is to keep everybody – the public and firefighters – safe.”

buffalo mountain fire 23 No New Growth On Buffalo Fire Burning Near Silverthorne

The fire is burning two miles west of Silverthorne and has burned 91 acres since it began Tuesday morning. The cause of the fire is unknown.

Additional Information from Summit County:

There will be a public meeting tonight at 6:15 p.m. at the Silverthorne Pavilion, located at 400 Blue River Pkwy., Silverthorne, CO 80498.

buffalo fire 22 No New Growth On Buffalo Fire Burning Near Silverthorne

Evacuations: Twenty Grand Road is closed from Ryan Gulch Road to Royal Buffalo Drive. All roads above Twenty Grand Road are also closed. Authorities will seek opportunities to allow residents to return temporarily to their homes, as conditions allow, until the sheriff lifts the evacuation order.

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), the deadliest (Storm King) and largest wildfire (Hayman) in Colorado history.

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