CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - Firefighters gained ground on two Rocky Mountain wildfires Tuesday after a spell of cool, damp weather but more strong wind threatened to complicate their efforts.
Forecasters expected winds gusting 60 mph (100 kilometers per hour) through Wednesday, fanning flames and possibly preventing firefighting aircraft from flying.
After two months of work, firefighters got the Cameron Peak Fire 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of Fort Collins, Colorado, more than half contained for the first time, reaching 56% containment Tuesday, the Coloradoan reported.
The fire had charred 210 square miles (540 square kilometers) of densely forested Rocky Mountain backcountry.
About 25 miles to the north, containment of the 275-square-mile (700-square-kilometer) Mullen Fire in southeastern Wyoming and northern Colorado increased to 30%. The fire crept closer to but didn’t imperil the Wyoming mountain communities of Albany and Centennial, the Casper Star-Tribune reported.
“We have good lines in place and a plan for containing it,” operations section chief John Wallace said in a live-streamed presentation Tuesday. “Everything is moving according to plan.”
The Cameron Peak Fire has damaged or destroyed 95 structures, including 33 homes, while the Mullen Fire has destroyed or damaged 65 structures. Cooler weather and snow calmed the fires somewhat over the weekend.
The fires were among the biggest in the region’s history.
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