The Aspen Acres fire in Pueblo and Custer counties continued slow growth, according to officials on Wednesday, nearing the 100,000-acre burned mark.

Colorado’s seventh-largest fire in history grew by 452 acres since Tuesday, meaning it’s burned 99,529 acres. Containment remained at 36%.

The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday said the community of Beulah was removed from pre-evacuation status, while also asking that nonresidents avoid going into the area.

“Beulah area residents are returning and working to re-establish their homes and properties,” the Sheriff’s Office stated on social media. “Limiting traffic to residents only will allow them privacy and ensure that they have a smooth and secure transition to their homes.”

The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office also said the Disaster Assistance Center (DAC) would remain open noon to 6 p.m. through Friday, and that residents who have not obtained a reentry card in those areas still under mandatory evacuation could do so now at the DAC, 29 Lehigh Ave., in Pueblo.

Among the areas of firefighting effort focus late Tuesday and early Wednesday were around Rye and Lake Isabel on the fire’s southwest edge, according to Ben Wagner, an operations section chief with Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 6, which took over management of the blaze Wednesday from the Alaska Complex Incident Management Team.

On Tuesday south of the fire, the Huerfano County Sheriff’s Office evacuated all areas within the U.S. Forest Service land to the east of where Williams Creek crosses into the national forest. More evacuations followed the creek north, where it intersects with CR 630 until it intersects with CR 636. Even more evacuations followed CR 630 west to Gardner Road, where it then runs north to the county line.

About 6,400 people have been able to return to the communities of Colorado City, Wetmore and Beulah, around 3,000 remain displaced due to dangerous conditions, according to officials.

Thursday’s forecast for Rye calls for a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms early in the afternoon with a high temperature of 85 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Pueblo.

Highs in the upper 80s and lower 90s are expected into the weekend along with a light chance of rain.

More than 330 homes and 800-plus structures have been lost in the fire.