Crews continue to fight a blaze in Rocky Mountain National Park today as preparations are underway to move a slurry bomber that crashed at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Jefferson County on Saturday.
The Cow Creek Trail wildfire near Estes Park now covers about 1,500 acres and is about 5 percent contained.
About 100 emergency workers are battling the fire, said Steve Segin, pokesman for the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center.
The P2-Neptune tanker plane that was working a smaller blaze called the Round Mountain Fire west of Loveland was taking off when the hydraulic brake system failed. The plane tore through a fence and its engine caught fire.
No one was injured. Authorities temporarily grounded three other tanker planes as a safety measure. “There was too much commotion going on at the airport,” Segin said.
Rain began to fall shortly after the planes were grounded, decreasing the need for the aircraft.
The rain helped to tamp down the 150-acre Round Mountain blaze, which is now 75 percent contained and is expected to be fully contained by 6 p.m. today. A crew of about 60 remain on the fire and continue mopping up.
The same storm cleared much of the smoke pouring from the Cow Creek fire, making it possible to get a clearer picture of the fire. The result was a better estimate of its size, which had been reported to be 250 acres on Friday night.
The National Park and most of its trails remain open. Cow Creek Trail and two others are closed due to heavy traffic as fire fighters battle the blaze.
National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Aviation Administration, and Forest Service Aviation Safety personnel are investigating the crash.
Segin said he expects the downed air tanker to be removed from the crash site this afternoon. “They are going to try to get a crane to move it to a different location.”
Farther south, the Medano fire in Great Sand Dunes National Park, which started June 6, continues to burn.
About 344 emergency workers are fighting the blaze, which has burned about 8-1/2 square miles.
The blaze is contained and doesn’t threaten any structures.
Crews that had been fighting the 630-acre Parkdale wildfire, which has been contained, were moved to the Medano blaze, Segin said.
Tom McGhee: (303)954-1671 or tmcghee@denverpost.com
