Firefighters prepared for another windy, dry and difficult day of firefighting Monday, a day after dangerously gusty conditions forced many crews to retreat to safety.

The Decker fire swelled on Sunday to 8,118 acres, growing roughly 800 acres as some firefighters on the blaze’s northeast side had little choice but to stop fighting and flee the wind-driven flames. Still, no houses were lost on Sunday, and the fire remains 30% contained, said Rick Barton, a spokesman for fire crews.

A community meeting is planned for 6 p.m. Monday at the Howard Volunteer Fire Department, 8274 U.S. 50 in Howard.

Evacuations issued Sunday remained in place for the towns of Wellsville and Swissvale, as well as the Bear Creek area along Chaffee County Road 101 and Fremont County Road 49.

Residents were also ordered to leave Silverheels Road, as well as the two houses on a private drive west just west of Silverheels Road.

The fire, which ignited on Sept. 8, was started by lightning and is about two miles south of Salida. Two houses have been destroyed in the blaze.

Another red flag warning for high fire danger was issued for 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday by the National Weather Service, due to warm temperatures, low humidity and wind gusts that were expected to reach 25 to 40 mph across fire.

It marks the fourth straight day of heightened fire dangers — further drying out trees and exacerbating the fire’s threat.

“The fuels are so dry that the probability of ignition is 90 percent, if a spark or ember lands in receptive fuels,” Barton said.

On Sunday, firefighters building line on the popular Rainbow Trail had to pull back as afternoon winds gusted to 45 to 55 mph — igniting a spot fire behind the firefighters’ line and advancing past the trail, fire officials said.

Crews had already been setting up water pumps and sprinkler systems around houses in the nearby Bear Creek area when flames began jumping the fire lines, Barton said.

That work proved critical in saving multiple houses in the area, Barton said, despite at least one of the pumps melting in the blaze.

In all, about 60 to 80 firefighters had to retreat until the flames died down.

“It grew really fast on us so we pulled everyone to a safety zone we previously identified,” Barton said.