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Colorado Leaders Visit Lake Christine Fire As Situation Improves

EL JEBEL, Colo. (CBS4) - Some evacuations have been lifted for residents living close to the Lake Christine Fire. Weather conditions are improving as well for firefighters who are battling the 5,263 acre wildfire burning near the Colorado towns of Basalt and El Jebel.

Lake Christine Fire John Hickenlooper
(credit: CBS)

Gov. John Hickenlooper, Sen. Cory Gardner and Rep. Scott Tipton visited the area on Friday morning and got an update from the wildfire management team.

Mandatory evacuations have been lifted for residents who live in Garfield County. The burn area is actually in Eagle County, and mandatory evacuations there as well as in neighboring Pitkin County remain in effect.

The number of homes destroyed by the fire remains static at three.

Lake Christine Fire John Hickenlooper
(credit: CBS)

"This fire obviously really came out of nowhere and grew very rapidly and we had issues around electrical transmission, a lot of building at risk," Hickenlooper said.

Lake Christine Fire
(credit: CBS)

Hundreds of firefighters have driven in from other parts of the Colorado to help -- including a crew from Denver -- and more reinforcements are on the way.

Winds in the area aren't nearly as erratic as they were on Wednesday, when the fire was mostly out of control. And CBS4 meteorologist Ashton Altieri reports there is a small chance for rain in the Roaring Fork Valley on Friday.

The Lake Christine Fire started on Tuesday when investigators said two people were shooting tracer rounds at a gun range. Both were cited.

Hickenlooper and the other leaders will also travel to the Spring Fire near La Veta on Friday. That wildfire has burned over 103,000 acres and destroyed hundreds of homes.

Additional Resources

Call 970-510-0705 for more information about the fire. The Eagle County Sheriff Facebook page is also providing official updates on the fire.

Wildfire Resources

- Visit CBSDenver.com's Colorado Wildfire section.

Wildfire Photo Galleries

- See images from the most destructive wildfires (Black Forest, Waldo Canyon, High Park and Fourmile), the deadliest (Storm King) and largest wildfire (Hayman) in Colorado history.

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