The wildfire burning on more than 700 acres of U.S. Forest Service land south of Leadville in the Interlaken Historic District is 100% contained, fire officials announced Monday.
What started as a small campfire left unattended about 60 yards from the Interlaken trail and 1.5 miles from the trailhead is now a burn area of 704 acres, according to fire officials. That’s more than 533 football fields put together.
Fire investigators believe the campfire was not properly extinguished and was burning for several days before it sparked the wildfire during the afternoon of Tuesday, June 11. Abandoned fire coals, when not taken care of, can retain heat for extended periods of time and reignite if winds pick up.
Wildfire containment isn’t the same as a fire being put out — it’s the status of a control line being completed around the fire that can be expected to stop the fire’s spread.
Over the course of the fire’s two-week spread, more than 200 fire personnel, helicopters and airtankers were at Interlaken daily to fight the blaze.
In a Monday update, Interlaken fire officials said most firefighter units and resources were sent to other fire assignments or returned to their home unit.
“A few fire resources remain to continue working on the fire until it’s out,” officials said in Monday’s update.
That includes about 84 fire personnel, according to Forest Service reports.
For public safety, the closure remains in effect for the burned area and surrounding recreation areas, fire officials said Monday.
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The Pike San Isabel National Forest Cimarron and Camanche Grasslands issued a closure order on June 15, 2024 for the area of the fire. The closure is located on Forest Service land only.
Camping is currently prohibited on the east side of Twin Lakes and around the Interlaken trailhead. The Willis Gulch, Interlaken and Sheep Gulch trails are closed, as are the Colorado Trail segments in the Twin Lakes area, according to Forest Service officials.
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