Authorities say the interruption of electricity Tuesday in Cedar Creek, Cibecue and Carrizo is necessary to protect firefighters while they conduct burnout operations near the power lines. Hundreds of homes have been evacuated.
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The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department says the area is the community of Lake Morena Village northwest of the city of Campo.
Campers dispersed across Routt National Forest and Bureau of Land Management land, and some part-time residents have been evacuated from the area, said Aaron Voos, spokesman for the Routt National Forest.
Voos says the number of firefighters is expected to grow from 120 to about 200 on Wednesday.
Improved weather in the aftermath of a severe heat wave allowed firefighters to make progress against two fires in the steep San Gabriel Mountains 20 miles northeast of Los Angeles.
The fire is located approximately 20 miles northwest of Walden, Colo., three miles south of the Colorado/Wyoming state line, and in the Twisty Park area, between Beaver Creek and Rhea Creek.
“It’s billowing pretty good”, North Routt Fire Protection District Chief Mike Swinsick said Tuesday. The flames threatening the community of Cedar Creek made no significant movement in the last 24 hours thanks to sparse vegetation.
The Upper Creek fire remains at 170 acres and 90 percent contained as of June 16, according to a news release from the U.S. Forest Service. It has destroyed at least two dozen homes and burned almost 28 square miles.
The human-caused fire was reported June 14.
However, there will be additional road closures in the Independence Mountain area and south of the 600 Road, which was the southern border of the blaze before to the fire’s growth Tuesday. Gov. Susana Martinez planned to be among those working the checkpoints. As a result containment has increased from SR 60 at approximately mile post 323 on the west side, to the Playground Fire scar to the east.
As planned, mandatory evacuation orders for many areas were reduced to warnings at 5 a.m., allowing residents to return.
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Another wildfire about 40 miles east of San Diego has grown to just over 10 square miles and is partially contained.
