DENVER – Credentialed residents were able to start returning home after the Summit County Sheriff’s Office lifted mandatory evacuations on the Ptarmigan Fire at 10 a.m. Thursday.
The sheriff’s office downgraded the mandatory evacuations for the Hamilton Creek and Angler Mountain neighborhoods to pre-evacuations. People who live there will have to provide credentials to be let back in.
People who have not yet received credentials will be able to pick them up Thursday and Friday between 8 and 11 a.m. at the Silverthorne Town Hall, Summit Fire spokesperson Steve Lipsher said Thursday morning.
Other neighborhoods under pre-evacuation notices, including lower Angler Mountain, Ptarmigan and South 40, do not need credentials.
Rain continued overnight, Lipsher said, and the fire did not grow but remains active. It is still estimated between 85 and 100 acres in size. Officials said people living close to the fire would stay ready to evacuate should conditions in the area change.
There are 155 personnel working the fire. Summit Fire said crews would be working on building containment lives and on structure protection throughout the day Thursday.
The White River National Forest issued a forest closure for the area burned by the fire and for the trails leading up to the area on Thursday.
"The rains have not extinguished the Ptarmigan Fire. The dangers presented from being in an active fire area should be obvious – increased risk of falling trees, aircraft making drops, and of course from the fire itself," said Adam Bianchi, the Dillon District Ranger for the forest. "Please give firefighters the space they need to complete their work containing the Ptarmigan Fire."
Most of the people who returned home Thursday had been evacuated on Monday evening, when the fire started. The fire’s cause remains under investigation, according to Lipsher.
“Residents will continue to see fire activity in the area over the next few weeks, including aerial resources and heavy equipment,” the agency said in a news release. “Flames and smoke may be visible. Please do not call 911.”
People who want to offer donations to help emergency personnel canmake a cash contribution through the Red Cross.
A joint fire command including Summit Fire & EMS, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Forest Service is managing the fire.
The social media accounts and websites for Summit County,Summit County Sheriff's Office,Summit Fire & EMS, theTown of Silverthorne and theU.S. Forest Service will also post updates.