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Silver Creek Fire now fully contained, estimated to cost over $30 million

An aerial of the burn scar taken by the Burned Area Emergency Response team.
Courtesy Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest

Fire officials have officially declared the Silver Creek Fire fully contained after three-and-a-half months of burning.

Ending at 20,120 acres, the fire is not out, but officials are confident it will not spread outside the containment lines at this time. It is considered 100 percent contained.

According to Aaron Voos, public information officer for the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, the fire will burn until a season-ending snow event occurs, where the snow stays on the ground.



Currently, four personnel are assigned to monitor the fire to make sure it stays contained. No areas surrounding the fire have been closed since they were rescinded Oct. 24.

As of Oct. 18, officials estimated costs to suppress the fire at up to $28.1 million, but Voos said he believes that the final total will likely exceed $30 million.



A Burned Area Emergency Response team recently assessed the fire and will be releasing a report detailing the burn severity, flash flooding potential, conditions of soils and maps of the area. Voos said the report will likely be released in the next week or two.

Voos said the assessment found that only 500 acres, or 3 percent, of the fire was high burn severity, which damages soil, has a higher flooding potential and lessens the chance of regrowth.

“That’s really good news,” he said.


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