Silverthorne Fire: 1,300 Homes Evacuated, Flying Tankers Used

SILVERTHORNE, CO – The fire burning on Buffalo Mountain a mile west of Silverthorne has not damaged any structures, but has scorched some 90 acres, Summit County officials said. More than 1,300 homes were evacuated Tuesday in areas near the mountain. About 150 firefighters from multiple agencies are working to control what authorities are calling the #Buffalofire.

“Things looked good last night, and the fire did not grow,” said Summit Fire & EMS Chief Jeff Berino Wednesday morning. “This has been a great team effort all around, and we are deeply appreciative of all the agencies who have come together to help out. We realize that this is an inconvenience, especially for the evacuees, so we ask for patience and understanding that our primary goal is to keep everybody – the public and firefighters – safe.”

Helicopters and air tankers were pouring flame-retardant over the heavy timber and dead beetle-kill stands of pine trees Tuesday.

By the afternoon, around 1,300 homes in the Wildernest and Mesa Cortina neighborhoods (above 20 Grand Road) had been evacuated and 1,600 residences were on "pre-evacuation" notice. A Red Cross Evacuation center was set up at Frisco Elementary School, 430 Rainbow Drive in Silverthorne, where evacuated residents spent the night.

Smoke could be seen billowing from the mountain, and Summit County officials warned that air quality was hazardous.

The following trails have been closed: North Tenmile, Meadow Creek, Salt Lick, Buffalo Mountain, Lilly Pad Lake, Mesa Cortina, Willow Brook, and Gore Trail at Red Buffalo Pass.

There will be a public meeting tonight for a fire update at 6:15 p.m. at the Silverthorne Pavilion, located at 400 Blue River Pkwy.

Image via Summit County