Firefighters battling the Ptarmigan Fire northeast of Silverthorne established fire containment lines on Thursday as evacuated residents were allowed back into their homes, fire officials said.
Residents in the Hamilton Creek and upper Angler Mountain Ranch neighborhoods were allowed back in at 10 a.m., although they and residents in the South 40, lower Angler Mountain Ranch and Ptarmigan neighborhoods remain on pre-evacuation orders, according to a Summit Fire & EMS news release.
About 155 firefighting personnel worked on the fire in the air and on the ground Thursday. The fire, which sparked on Monday, has burned 85 acres through heavily mixed forest, including dead and downed trees, in steep terrain.
Structure-protection crews continued to patrol neighborhoods on Thursday. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Thunderstorms and overnight snow showers are expected in the fire area over the weekend, with low temperatures below freezing, according to the National Weather Service.
