Platte River Fire: Evacuations Remain As 30+ Acre Jefferson County Wildfire Burns Near Structures
JEFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - The Platte River Fire in an area of Jefferson County called Ramona Gulch has burned slightly more than 30 acres. Evacuations remain in place due to the wildfire, which started on Thursday afternoon and so far isn't contained.
Two dozen homes in the Ramona Gulch area are under the evacuation order. The fire's location is near Dome Rock around the 17000 block of West Platte River Road, just over 4 miles northeast of Buffalo Creek and 2 miles east of Foxton. Platte River Road is currently closed from Foxton Road to the Douglas County line.
Officials with the Jefferson County Sheriff's office said their primary goal on Friday morning is protecting structures.
#PlatteRiverFire update. The fire was last at 31.9 acres. Today crews will be working toward mop up while their main goal is the safety of all structures. All fire updates will come from @PSICC_NF Once it is determined to be safe enough the evacuations will be lifted. pic.twitter.com/Pe4GvFEP20
— Jeffco Sheriff (@jeffcosheriffco) June 11, 2021
No one has been hurt in the firefight.
A blog posting from officials about the fire stated the following information about the wildland fire suppression efforts.
"There currently are 70 firefighters on scene this morning. Due to the steep terrain and bug kill on the south side of the South Platte River they are evaluating the risks to firefighter safety and will develop a plan accordingly. Air resources will be active throughout the day. There currently remains no containment."
An evacuation center is in place at Conifer High School but no one spent the night there Thursday night. Officials encourage evacuated evacuated residents to check in at the center regardless of whether they planned to shelter there or not.
The fire appeared to have started from a downed power line, according to Jeffco officials.
The North Fork Trail at Reynolds Park is closed until further notice. Residents can bring large animals such as horses to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds.
Residents are encouraged to sign up for text alerts about the fire and evacuations through the CodeRED app. Updates on the fire will also be posted at this link.