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Silver Creek Fire Jumps Containment Lines, Officials Warn About Smoke

KREMMLING, Colo. (CBS4/AP) - The fire danger is high again on Colorado's Western Slope, where hot and dry conditions have led to a wildfire burning near Steamboat Springs since mid-July to flare up.

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Smoke from the Silver Creek Fire (credit: CBS)

Routt National Forest Service spokesman Aaron Voos told the Steamboat Pilot & Today that the Silver Creek Fire in the Routt National Forest, not far from Kremmling, jumped established containment lines Wednesday and moved to within about 5 miles of Highway 40. Hunters and campers in the area were evacuated.

Residents in the Old Park and Gore Lakes area are being notified of a pre-evacuation order effective immediately as of 3 p.m. Thursday.

A warning about smoke was sent out in neighboring Grand County because of the fire.

"The Silver Creek Fire has intensified and is producing heavy smoke in western Grand County. Rural areas north of Kremmling will be most affected, and with active fire activity expected today we are anticipating smoke impacts through at least Friday morning," the Grand County Sheriff's office wrote on Facebook.

The Silver Creek Fire has intensified and is producing heavy smoke in western Grand County. Rural areas north of...

Posted by Grand County Sheriff's Office - Colorado on Thursday, September 13, 2018

Meanwhile, better weather conditions to the east have helped firefighters gain 25 percent containment on the Seaman Fire, which is burning about 18 miles northwest of Fort Collins.

The fire has burned about 170 acres since Tuesday. It's burning in grasses and pockets of ponderosa pine in the 2012 Hewlett Fire burn scar.

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.

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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