STEAMBOAT SPRINGS – Firefighters have begun containing the Middle Fork Fire around the southwest border, and it is now 1% contained, as of Sunday. The fire is now 19,938 acres.

Strong winds from the weekend, which are expected to continue Sunday, have weakened trees and caused torching and flanking in the fire, making containment more challenging for firefighters.

Firefighters will continue to build containment lines and extinguish hot spots along the fire perimeter “where safe to insert crews,” a report from the U.S. Forest Service states.

Helicopters will get crews to parts of the fire inaccessible by foot, the report says.

There are no evacuation or pre-evacuation orders in effect for Routt County. Pre-evacuations are in place in Jackson County for Rainbow Lakes, Aqua Fria, as well as Teal and Tiago Lakes areas. This is not intended for the Rainbow Lakes Community. That notification from Jackson County was primarily made for hunters and ranchers with cattle in those areas. Not all management action points stimulate evacuations; however, if the fire were to reach any pre-identified management action points that are evacuation related, it would trigger Routt and Jackson counties.

To reach Alison Berg, call 970-871-4229 or email aberg@SteamboatPilot.com.