Breckenridge Peak 2 fire 85 percent contained as of Monday
Staff reports
The Peak 2 Fire has now reached 85 percent containment, and more than 150 of the personnel responding to the fire at its peak have been released to travel home or fight higher-priority fires across the West.
The 84-acre fire has seen no significant growth since last Wednesday, and favorable weather — with cooler temperatures, cloudy skies and calm winds — is expected to persist for the next several days.
Throughout Monday, crews were building a contingency line on the fire’s southern end by tying together existing mitigation work. Fire officials say this would provide a fuel break in the unlikely event that the fire spread to the south and east.
A total of 254 personnel were at work Monday morning, including five hand crews, two helicopters and seven fire engines.
All pre-evacuations were lifted by Sunday afternoon, although closures of the Peaks, Wheeler, Gold Hill and Miner’s Creek trails remain in place, along with Miner’s Creek road and a section of the Colorado trail.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Extensive fire restrictions are in place across the county, and campfires are only allowed in metal fire grates at developed campsites. Smoking is only permitted in areas devoid of vegetation.
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