PARK COUNTY — The National Forest Service says the Shawnee Peak Fire reduced in size from 40 to 37 acres due to better mapping, but a red flag warning is in effect Wednesday.
Firefighters will continue operations today after spending the night in a spike camp near the fire, according to NFS.
There are 159 personnel working on both air and ground support, including hot shot crews and helicopters. NFS said the crews will use natural fire barriers and incorporate trails for the fireline perimeter.
The high winds and low humidity in a red flag warning can be ideal for a fire to spread. NFS said the cool weather and high humidity Tuesday helped keep "fire behavior to a minimum."
Firefighters spent the day Tuesday constructing fireline, which will tie into natural fuel breaks to try and keep the fire below the ridgeline.
No structures are threatened since the fire is in a remote wilderness area, but structure crews started assessing homes in Shawnee, the closest town located three miles away, for fire risk.
NFS first reported the fire Monday afternoon.
Be sure to check back with News5 for updates throughout the day.
