Fire activity was limited overnight into Tuesday as the Oak Ridge fire in Pueblo County increased to 9% containment.

The fire, burning three miles northwest of Beulah, increased to an estimated 1,191 acres in size, according to Matt Holte, the Oak Ridge fire operations section chief trainee.

“A lot of good work has been done, we’re kind of moving into a transition point with this fire,” Holte said.

Holte said fire crews will work to finish constructing fire lines along Division K, Division U and Division A on Tuesday to allow for officials to safely grow the fire so crews can battle the blaze safely from the constructed firelines.

“In the next couple of days, we’re going to start aerial ignition where we’re bringing this fire down to our lines to where we can fight it safely.”

“The overall plan is to still bring it (the fire) up to the Junkins burn scar,” Holte said.

Holte said a drone burn operation will likely begin Thursday, given the conditions that day.

Additionally, crews will continue to construct contingency lines from drop point nine through Pueblo Mountain Park to prepare for the blaze surpassing the constructed lines.

“Probably by Thursday, we’re going to be looking at having the conditions where we can start this aerial ignition using drones to bring it (the fire) down very slowly, very controlled, to get the appropriate fire effects that we want to mitigate the long term risks to the watersheds and the communities,” Holte said.

Officials are expecting an increase in acreage amid the burn operation, anticipating between 6,500 and 7,000 acres burned, “by when it’s done,” Holte said.

“Things are going to look vastly different tomorrow when we’re doing this update,” Holte said.

After careful consideration of the fire’s status, officials will be lifting the mandatory evacuation notice for Middle Creek Canyon Road on noon Tuesday. The road’s residents will be back under a pre-evacuation notice alongside residents on Vine Mesa, Cascade Avenue, Pine Avenue and Beulah Highlands Road

The Oak Ridge fire sparked June 22 after a lightning strike, officials said. The fire has had as many as 535 personnel combating it. No containment had been gained until Monday’s announcement.

“Fire managers are confident that the containment line will hold west of Beulah,” incident manager Casey Chessbrough said in the news release. “The containment percentage may decrease when strategic fire operations begin and increase the fire’s acreage.”

Firefighters on Monday completed construction of an indirect dozer line near North Creek in the north side of the fire.

Holte said crews will continue to finish fire lines Tuesday within Division U, connecting the firelines in Division K to create a solid fireline up through the Junkins burn scar, along with scouting efforts ahead of this week’s burn operation.