Reportedly at 20 acres on Tuesday morning, a Tuesday afternoon update from the Summit County Sheriff’s Office pins the Ptarmigan Fire at 83 acres – quadruple the size. That might not big huge compared to other fires Colorado has seen in the past, but the close proximity of this blaze to a heavily populated area makes this growth cause for caution.

Located just northeast of Silverthrone, rain moved into the area at about 1 PM on Tuesday. This rain helped reduce fire behavior, but also resulted in all aircraft being grounded. Winds that preceded the rain also resulted in the blaze being pushed further south.

An aerial attack continues to be the key way that crews are working to control this blaze, making the grounding problematic. The fire has proven to be too dangerous for ground crews at this time. Ground crews are strategically placed to protect nearby structures should the need arise. Personnel assigned to the blaze has increased to 100 people representing multiple agencies.

Approximately 300 homes have been evacuated, with other residents in the area under a pre-evacuation notice. At last update, homes were not under an immediate threat, though that update was announced prior to the most recent wind-driven growth.

Follow along with the official Inciweb page for the blaze for official updates and more information about evacuations.

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