Firefighters were able to contain the 700 acre Windy Pass Fire in Colorado last week by connecting stands of Aspen trees, meadows, rocky fields, and existing roads, saving Wolf Creek Ski Area and its fire chairlifts from burning to the ground. The Windy Pass Fire, a relatively small wildfire part of the larger West Fork Complex fire that has burned almost 100,000 acres as of this morning, was climbing up the backside of Wolf Creek but was stopped a quarter mile before it reached the ski area's boundaries.
1,500 firefighters are currently fighting the West Fork fire, which is only 4% contained as it burns through remote stands of dead, dry beetle kill trees in southwest Colorado's Rio Grande National Forest. Smoke from the fire reached Europe a week ago.
· More firefighters arrive at West Fork Complex fires: West Fork Fire, Papoose Fire, Windy Pass Fire [ABC 7 News]
· Progress made on West Fork Complex fire [Denver Post]