Two sets of High Park Fire evacuees return home

LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. — As cooler temperatures prevailed Wednesday, 390 notifications were issued to two sets of evacuees allowing them to return home to areas no longer being threatened by the High Park Fire.

During an afternoon briefing, John Schultz, the Public Information Officer for the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, said 301 notifications were sent to residents of the Mill Canyon and Soldier Canyon areas permitting them to return to their homes around 10 a.m. Wednesday morning. There were 89 additional notifications issued to residents of Hewlett Gulch Subdivision, Deer Meadow Way and Gordon Creek Lane Wednesday afternoon allowing them to return home, as well.

“We’re continuing to evaluate additional areas,” Schultz said. “Tomorrow we’re hoping to get some of the Poudre Park people home. That will be evaluated in the morning because there is still some (fire) activity up there.”

Brett Haberstick of the Rocky Mountain Incident Management team said that relative humidity was reported between 35-45 percent Wednesday — some of the lowest levels since the fire began burning on June 9 after a lightning strike.

“Mother Nature has provided us a window,” Haberstick said. “These conditions gave us a very good operational environment for being aggressive with this fire and gaining control.”

Haberstick highlighted the Redstone Canyon and Horsetooth Mountain areas as points where fire crews are advancing and “doing well with structure protection.”

As of Wednesday evening, the High Park Fire had reportedly burned 65,738 acres and remained at 55-percent containment.