A wildfire ignited by an abandoned campfire near Twin Lakes continued to grow Thursday, burning 578 acres of national forest land, as firefighters attacked the flames from the sky and along the fire’s edge as it creeped up difficult mountainous terrain.
About 140 firefighters are working to extinguish the Interlaken fire, which is chewing through spruce fir forests and dead timber right outside the town of Twin Lakes and about 10 miles south of Leadville, the U.S. Forest Service said on Inciweb, a federal wildfire database.
Aerial fire crews continue to drop several buckets of water and fire retardant on the fire to help minimize its spread, the USFS said. From the north and south sides of the fire, firefighters on the ground are working to protect the Interlaken historic site, which is home to a now-abandoned luxury mountain hotel.
The fire is burning in difficult, high elevation terrain and crews are scouting for areas to establish a fireline where the fire extends uphill and to the ridge, officials said.
Weather conditions Thursday were warm and dry, with temperatures reaching 77 degrees and wind gusts up to 18 mph, the USFS said.
“There is a small chance of afternoon convective cloudiness over the mountains, which could produce some very brief periods of gusty and erratic winds,” the Forest Service wrote in its Thursday afternoon update.
The fire could see some relief from increased levels of moisture and possibly some showers over the north side of the fire Thursday afternoon, before Friday brings showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon, officials said.
In an update Wednesday evening, the Forest Service said it does not have any leads on who might have started the campfire in a fire ring 60 yards from the Interlaken trail, before abandoning it days before the Interlaken fire was first reported Tuesday.
Officials are asking anyone who may have information about campers who built a fire near the Interlaken resort between Friday and Tuesday to call a tip line at 303-272-5266.
As of Thursday afternoon, the Interlaken fire was 0% contained. Officials said they hope to contain the fire by June 23.