There was minimal CalWood fire activity as 13 inches of snow fell at higher elevations on Sunday, and fire containment stood at 76% as of 9:33 a.m. Monday.
Temperatures are expected to drop Monday morning as a cold front continues to move through the area, and firefighters will continue to monitor the fire for hot spots or any movement, according to a post on the CalWood and Lefthand Canyon Fires Facebook page.
The high is forecast to be 16 degrees, with wind chills as low as -3 degrees possible, according to the post.
“Fire activity is expected to be greatly diminished due to the drop in temperature and recent snowfall. When it is safe to do so, crews will begin work to continue increasing containment by improving and mopping up lines around the edge of the fire,” authorities stated in the post. “Fire managers will continue to monitor the weather to determine when it is safe for crews to get back onto the fireline and work the edge of the fire.”
One way crews will mop up the fire is “cold trailing,” a method of removing heat from the edge of the fire by carefully inspecting and feeling areas on the ground with the back of a bare hand, according to the post. If heat is detected, firefighters then use hand tools to dig out those areas to release heat and add water to cool the area, authorities stated on Facebook.
The CalWood fire was at 10,105 acres as of Monday morning.
Meanwhile, the Lefthand Canyon fire was 100% contained at 460 acres, according to authorities.
The causes of both Boulder County wildfires, which started Oct. 17 and 18, respectively, are under investigation.
For the latest information on both fires, visit the CalWood or Lefthand Canyon InciWeb pages or follow the official fire Facebook page.
.jpg;w=120;h=80;mode=crop)
