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The High Park Fire is seen Friday afternoon from the Maroon Bell trailhead in Glacier View Meadows. / Sam Noblett/The Coloradoan
“Extreme fire behavior” in Glacier View Meadows subdivison has firefighters waiting in a safe zone before they can re-enter the area where a number of structures are believed to be burning, fire information officer Brett Haberstick said.
Multiple homes are burning in Hewlett Gulch to the east, a few hours after a spot fire leaped the Poudre River and the High Park Fire extended into the two forested neighborhoods.
“You can tell by the column of smoke being generated by this that fire activity is significant, it is extensive and it is burning very hot,” Haberstick said. “It’s something that is extremely unsafe for anybody to be involved in.”
An ominous, dark plume of smoke is visible above the area north of the river, and Red Feather Lakes Road has been closed to the public west of Livermore. Haberstick said it’s “still early,” and fire crews hope to return to engage the fire soon after the flames begin to abate. He said preliminary reports indicate structures are burning in the 12th filing of Glacier View, but crews haven’t been able to get close enough to confirm damage.
Emergency evacuation calls went out to 733 numbers this afternoon — clearing out nearly every home along Red Feather Lakes Road between Hewlett Gulch Road and Red Feather Lakes — and gusting winds are causing a dark cloud to spread over areas near the fire’s north end.
About 120 elite, hotshot firefighters were sent to the area. But dangerous conditions resulted in firefighters getting pulled back to safety zones near the spot fire, which developed southeast of homes in the 12th filing in Glacier View before entering the Hewlett Gulch area.
Larimer County Sheriff’s Office spokesman John Schulz said it’s too early to estimate a damage assessment.
Winds have been blowing at 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph, and firefighters expected more difficult weather after making significant progress the past two days. This afternoon, homes were burning within a few hours of the fire jumping the river.
Incident commander Bill Hahnenberg said at a 4 p.m. briefing that he was optimistic for success in the area, but depending on winds, the goal could turn to protecting firefighters over structures.
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