Abandoned campfire may be cause of Colorado wildfire

An abandoned campfire left days before the Interlaken Fire started Tuesday, south of Twin Lakes in Lake County, is likely the cause of the expanding wildfires, according to a state investigator. US Forest Service.

In an update Wednesday evening, the Forest Service said the investigator located a campfire ring 200 feet from the Interlaken Trail and 1.5 miles from the trailhead where the fire likely started .

“This campfire was not properly extinguished and continued to burn. The Camp Fire is believed to have been abandoned several days before its June 11 report,” the Forest Service said in a social media post.

The authorities have no clue as to the identity of the author of the fire. They are asking anyone who may have information about campers having a fire near Interlaken Station between Friday and Tuesday to call a tip line at 303-275-5266.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the fire 12 miles south of Leadville had buried about 443 acres in 24 hours without any containment. Prior evacuations extended to northern Chaffee County.

According to the USFS, 135 firefighters are on scene, as well as four helicopters and a fixed-wing aircraft.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office has issued an evacuation order to the Interlaken Historic District, home to a once-popular and now-abandoned mountain hotel, as well as all of County Road 25, on the south side of Twin Lakes. A prior evacuation order was issued “until further notice” for Lost Canyon, as well as Balltown, a small residential area on the east side of Twin Lakes and County Road 30.

The Chaffee County Sheriff's Office issued a pre-evacuation warning Wednesday for residents and those breeding between Clear Creek Reservoir and the Chaffee County-Lake County line.