Wildfires burning near Twin Lakes double in size to 413 acres Wednesday

Evacuations are underway after a wildfire broke out near Twin Lakes, south of Leadville, Tuesday afternoon, June 11, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

On Tuesday around 2 p.m., Lake County government said on Facebook that local firefighters were on scene at the wildfire near the Interlaken Resort in the Twin Lakes area. The U.S. Forest Service reported the wildfire was 165 acres.and a helicopter was called in to assist with firefighting efforts.

The Sheriff's Office requested evacuations of the Interlaken area and County Road 25, as well as pre-evacuation efforts on Lost Canyon Road.

No structures were threatened Tuesday evening by the wildfire that broke out in the historic Interlaken neighborhood near Twin Lakes, about 12 miles southwest of Leadville, according to the county sheriff's office of Lake.

Tuesday, the fire was estimated at 164 acres, the Lake County Sheriff's Office wrote in a news release issued later that evening. The buildings in the historic district are not threatened at the moment “thanks to the firefighters present on site who made efforts to protect the structures,” the press release indicates.

The fire is on U.S. Forest Service land, and fire suppression responsibility has been assigned to the U.S. Forest Service, the news release states. Leadville-Lake County Fire, the Lake County Sheriff's Office and St. Vincent EMS first responded to the scene around 1:40 p.m. Tuesday.

Some people recreating near Twin Lakes were evacuated by the Lake County Sheriff's Office and local search and rescue services, including hikers who were transported to safety by boat, the release said. Pre-evacuation advisories issued to residences on Lost Canyon Road and Balltown were lifted Tuesday evening. But the sheriff's office reinstated the pre-evacuation advisory at Lost Canyon Road. early Wednesday morning.

Resources from Lake County Search & Rescue, Vail Fire & Emergency Services, Chaffee County Fire Protection District, Red, White & Blue Fire Protection District of Breckenridge, Summit Fire & EMS and the U.S. Forest Service responded, the release states. Firefighters reportedly remained on site throughout the night.

The historic Interlaken resort, located along the south shore of the Twin Lakes, was first built by John A. Staley as Lakeside Resort in the 1870s, according to the U.S. Forest Service.. The popular mountain hotel was later purchased by James V. Dexter in 1883, who expanded it into a world-class resort, added 2,000 acres and renamed it Interlaken.

There was no update on the fire as of 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. Neither the U.S. Forest Service nor the Lake County Sheriff's Office responded to calls seeking updates on the fire Wednesday morning.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office warned that smoke from wildfires could impact air quality in the area. Wildfire smoke from the Interlaken Fire could also move through Summit County and the surrounding mountain region on Wednesday, according to forecasts..

As of Wednesday afternoon, the Interlaken Fire has grown to approximately 413 acres, according to the Bureau of Land Management's Colorado Fire Information Map..