Fire officials say crews continue to make progress on the Morrill Fire as additional resources arrive to assist local firefighters.
Scott Beacham with Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1 provided an update Sunday, saying the team has stepped in to support local crews that have been working the fire since it began.
Beacham said Rocky Mountain Team 1 is made up of federal, state, and local personnel from surrounding states including Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Kansas. The team was brought in to help manage the incident and provide additional resources as local departments face growing fatigue.
“We are very appreciative of the local resources that have been working this,” Beacham said. “All the local fire departments that have come in and the surrounding fire departments have done an excellent job out here.”
According to Beacham, firefighters dealt with a flare-up late Saturday night on the west side of Lake McConaughy. Crews were able to get the situation under control despite strong winds.
He said the southern portion of the fire is currently looking good after overnight north winds pushed flames back into previously burned areas.
The northern half of the fire remains more active, and crews will continue working in that area today as conditions allow.
Some fire activity was also reported overnight in other parts of the fire area, though Beacham said it was limited even as winds continued to gust.
Firefighters have also constructed fire line in areas near Lake McConaughy to help protect the area. On the east side of the fire, additional line has been established and officials say it held well overnight into Sunday morning.
Beacham noted the firefighting effort has been challenging for local departments that have been working long hours on the incident.
“They’re starting to get tired and overwhelmed, and we’re here to bring in extra resources to get some relief for those folks,” Beacham said.
Officials say firefighters will continue working around the fire today, though cold temperatures and strong winds could make operations more difficult.