SILVERTHORNE – A wildfire that has forced the evacuation of homes in Colorado’s north-central mountains has grown but has not spread toward residential areas, officials said.
Evacuations were first ordered Monday evening near Silverthorne shortly after the fire was reported on U.S. Forest Service land. Adam Bianchi, district ranger with the Dillon Ranger District, estimated that the Ptarmigan Fire grew to between 85 and 100 acres as of Tuesday, the Summit Daily News reported. The fire mostly spread to the north and east, away from homes, he said.
Some rain fell Tuesday, reducing fire behavior, but the Forest Service said the amount of rain was not enough to put out this type of fire.
While a historic drought in the American West tied to climate change is making wildfires harder to fight, Colorado has largely been spared from significant wildfires this year.
