A fire that had residents nervous in the mountain town of Glen Haven this afternoon subsided during the evening and advisories were lifted, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
The blaze northeast of Estes Park swelled from 5 to about 30 acres and may have sparked two smaller fires, said Forest Service spokeswoman Tammy Williams.
The main blaze, named the Dunraven fire, was reported at 11:39 a.m. By nightfall, 140 firefighters with air support were taking on the flames.
Residents in at least one home were ordered to evacuate and 52 were put on notice to be ready to flee, Williams said.
As winds calmed and temperatures cooled off after dark, firefighters gained an advantage, she said.
By 8:30 p.m., the advisories were lifted and the evacuated residents were allowed to return home, she said.
The fire was about 10 percent contained, but its volatility had waned, she said.
At its peak, about four structures were threatened, fire agencies said.
Steve Childs, owner of the Glen Haven General Store and Glen Haven’s retired fire chief, said the main fire burned at the end of Dunraven-Glade Road, near the Retreat subdivision, which includes about 240 houses.
Glen Haven has about 350 year-round residents.
Childs said the fires are in very rugged terrain with steep rocky slopes and heavy timber.
Hotshots, one three-person engine crew and eight people from the Larimer County and the Dunraven Fire Protection District helped fight the fire.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
