Cool cloudy weather decreased activity for the Beaver Creek fire near Walden for a second day.
The fire was estimated Saturday afternoon at . It remains at 5 percent containment.
The approximately 457 firefighters working the fire are preparing areas inside the fire perimeter to use as escape routes ahead of expected drier air that will move into the area beginning Sunday.
“The vegetation will dry out and become more receptive to fire,” according to a news release from the Rocky Mountain Incident Team.
Firefighters are also looking for hot spots around and near structures, “creating defensible space in the Parson’s Draw area and beginning rehabilitation in some areas of the fire,” the release states.
The recently decreased fire behavior is also minimizing smoke effects on air quality in the surrounding areas for now.