Carter Lake closed to public in effort to fight Pearl Fire in Northern Colorado

The Pearl Fire in Northern Colorado didn't grow overnight, but containment is still at 0%, according to state and federal fire officials. The Carter Lake Reservoir, a popular recreation area southwest of Loveland, now has limited activities allowed for the public and will serve as a water source for firefighting aircraft.

The fire is 138 acres, according to the U.S. Forest Service, and is near the Colorado-Wyoming border. The Larimer County Sheriff's Office says the fire started on private property and was human-caused. Investigators are still trying to determine if it was set intentionally or accidentally.

Due to water scooper planes at the reservoir, motorized boating is closed, wakeless boating areas (designated with buoys) remain open and paddlecraft or hand-launch recreation is not allowed until further notice. Shoreline activities and camping, however, remain open.

Mandatory evacuations were in place in Crystal Lakes south of Black Mountain, north of Lake Erie and in the area of County Road 86 and County Road 170. Some of those mandatory evacuations were changed to voluntary evacuations for residents north of County Road 80C to the state line, according to the Larimer County Sheriff at 2:35 p.m. Tuesday. 

Voluntary evacuations are in place near Lake Erie and Mitchell Ditch. More than 2,000 evacuation notices went out to devices signed up for alerts in the region.

Gov. Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency due to the wildfire.

The risk of extreme weather could complicate efforts to contain the fire. Storms are forecast for the area and while humidity and precipitation are favorable in containing the fire, the region should also be prepared for wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph.

Officials are expected to update the public on the fire at 4 p.m.