GUFFEY, Colo.—Overnight rain showers helped firefighters fully contain a 1,115-acre wildfire Sunday in Park County that destroyed four structures but no homes.
Fire officials lifted an evacuation order for all but seven of the approximately 50 houses that had been evacuated, and final evacuation orders were expected to be lifted around 9 a.m. Monday.
The fire was sparked Thursday by lightning east of Guffey. Fire officials said the blaze destroyed a camper trailer, a shed and two decorative structures.
On Sunday, firefighters were working to extinguish or remove materials still burning within the fire area. They were also cutting down trees at risk of falling, called “snags,” to protect firefighters and returning residents.
Fires can burn the roots of trees making them vulnerable to toppling. Strong fires can also produce their own weather, including wind, which can knock trees over, leaving them resting precariously in the branches of other trees.
Costs to fight the fire were estimated at $626,000.
