DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — A severe storm threat issued on Wednesday allowed firefighters battling the Airport Fire, burning near the Douglas County community of Louviers, to take advantage of the cooler, wetter conditions to bring the fire to full containment.
Fire officials said the 130-acre Airport Fire was likely started by a train passing through the area Sunday afternoon. The fire forced the evacuation of the entire town of Louviers and some campgrounds within Chatfield Reservoir State Park.
No structures were lost, and no injuries were reported.
"It's a double-edged sword," said Douglas County Office of Emergency Management Director Mike Alexander. "Those storms tend to bring cooler, wetter conditions as well as rain, hopefully, but they also do bring wind and lightning. That's the challenge for us."
Denver7 asked Alexander what tools the crew had on standby to help fully contain the Airport Fire and what they were concerned about with storms expected to roll in later in the day.
"We're also utilizing drones, as I mentioned, to map and analyze the burned areas and identify sources of heat and then target those for our mop-up," he said. "Wind could play a significant factor."
South Metro Fire Rescue Public Information Officer Brian Willie told Denver7 that crews faced concerns when storms rolled in on Tuesday as they were helping to tackle the Backcountry Fire.
The fully contained blaze ignited Tuesday afternoon in open space east of U.S. 85 and northwest of Daniels Park.
"The first initial storm came through, lightning struck that started the fire, and then as we're fighting it, as wildland crews were up there fighting that fire, another storm then came through," he said. "When that happens, safety is the biggest concern, and we want to make sure our crews are safe at all costs."
Willie told Denver7 South Metro Fire Rescue crews are also closely monitoring the weather, making sure they're prepared for what may come their way.
"The biggest thing for today that we're doing is working as quickly and efficiently as possible, as early as we can," he said. "We're keeping updated on the weather throughout the day."
