With containment of the 6,408-acre Willow Fire near Leadville at 29 percent and some of the pre-evacuation notices lifting in recent days, officials have provided an update that’s likely to be met with disdain from locals – the blaze was human-caused.

Officials did not note what that human cause was, or even address what evidence led them to come to that conclusion, though that does mean that natural causes – generally, lightning – have been ruled out.

While the fight against this fire seems to be trending in the right direction given that growth has remained relatively low in recent days, the July 14 update indicated that 1,090 homes were still threatened and that 229 local residents have been evacuated with 724 personnel assigned to the blaze. The fire is also notably closing portions of the Pike-San Isabel National Forest in the Leadville Ranger District, impacting access to several popular outdoor recreation spots in the area.

At this time, firefighters work to strengthen containment lines south of Turquoise Lake while also working to establish containment in the Bald Eagle Mountain area. Work also continues in the Halfmoon Creek area to mitigate damage to infrastructure, as well as in the area of the Leadville National Fish Hatchery.

More information can be found here.

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