Cool Weather Helps Colo. Firefighters

B O U L D E R, Colo., Sept. 18 -- Residents breathed a sigh of relief todayas firefighters took advantage of cooler, cloudy weather to get theupper hand on a fire threatening dozens of mountain homes.

The fire was 60 percent contained by nightfall tonight and fullcontainment was expected late Tuesday.

“It’s not over yet, but it’s close,” said Randy Burgess, aspokesman for the fire managers.

About 220 residents were told they could return to their homesMonday night. But electrical power had been cut and could remainoff three more days, Boulder County Sheriff’s Office supervisorKrista Kaknes said.

The fire, which jumped from treetop to treetop Sunday, smolderedclose to the ground today. Crews worked in 70-degree weather,clearing brush away from houses and building lines around the blazenear Flagstaff Mountain about 10 miles southwest of Boulder.

Grateful ResidentsAuthorities believe the fire was started by an illegal campfirein the area on Friday. It grew quickly throughout the weekend,nearly doubling in size on Sunday to nearly 1,100 acres.

In a few cases, land just outside the houses was blackened butall homes were saved, incident commander Joe Hartman said. Manyresidents had waited at roadblocks, hoping for a chance to returnto home.

Chris Gullett, waiting in a pickup truck packed with personalbelongings, including his grandmother’s crystal and his 7-year-oldson’s school artwork, said he was pleased with the firefighters’efforts.

“It’s been amazing. It’s really something how they work realhard,” he said.

Terrible Wildfire SeasonTwo Colorado fires burned more than 10,000 acres each in June,one 35 miles southwest of Denver and the other just east of RockyMountain National Park. In July, fires in and around Mesa VerdeNational Park burned 23,000 acres.

Near Glencoe, Okla., a fire destroyed at least four houses andcharred dozens of acres of trees and ranch property. Residentshosed down their homes as flames leaped over 20-foot pine and cedartrees nearby.