Democratic Colorado Governor Jared Polis said in a Tweet Wednesday night that the Cameron Peak Fire is the largest wildfire in the state’s history.
The fire, which started August 13, has a burned 158,000 acres, officials said per a CNN report. The blaze has now passed the Pine Gulch Fire that burned approximately 139,007 acres from July to September 2020, according to the Denver Post.
The Cameron Peak Fire now exceeds 158,000 acres and surpassed the Pine Gulch and Hayman fires to become the largest fire in the history of our state. All Colorado and the world cheer on our brave firefighters in their efforts to protect population centers and contain the fire
— Jared Polis (@jaredpolis) October 15, 2020
The governor’s announcement led to evacuation orders. The Larimer County Sheriff’s department issued an order posted on Facebook to evacuate Lory State Park, which is near Fort Collins, Colorado, according to CNN.
“Residents and business occupants should evacuate the area immediately and as quickly as possible due to immediate and imminent danger,” the office said.
Larimer County spokesperson Jered Kramer said in a statement reported by Colorado Public Radio that the Cameron Peak Fire is not threatening the city of Fort Collins at this time. (RELATED: Wildfires In California Break Record As 4 Million Acres Are Destroyed)
“I don’t want to get predictive of fire behavior, but the terrain difference and fuel difference between the mountains and the urban corridor is very distinct,” Kramer said.
“So citizens may be alarmed. But at this point, I haven’t heard any discussion of any consideration of issuing evacuation orders to the urban corridor,” Kramer added.
Officials are investigating the cause of the fire and expect it to be contained by Nov. 8, CNN reported.