Firefighters make progress on Hayden Fire over the weekend
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LEADORE — On Sunday, crews were able to make “good progress” against the Hayden Fire, U.S. Forest Service officials stated in a Facebook post Monday morning. The fire remains inside the primary containment lines, and is now 5 percent contained.
Over the weekend, firefighters connected and strengthened primary control lines in the northern, eastern and southern portion of the fire. Helicopters have been supporting ground crews, dipping retardant from the mobile retardant base.
“Helicopters allow for precise retardant placement to minimize impacts to the watershed and its users,” officials stated.
RELATED | Firefighters still battling Hayden Fire – almost 15,000 acres ablaze
In three areas of the fire – Bear Valley Road, west of Alder Creek and Jack Smith Gulch – firefighters have been able to bring the fire to 5 percent containment.
Officials warned that low humidity and high temperatures will continue to hinder firefighting efforts. However, winds are expected to settle down and “the sky cover will be mostly to partly cloudy.”
Crews will be igniting fuels to widen primary containment lines, according to a news release.
“Fire will also be used to burn pockets of unburned fuel to reduce the chance of group tree torching and spotting over control lines.
A community meeting is scheduled for tomorrow August 1, at 7 p.m. at the community center in Leadore to update the public about the fire.
The video above describes the mobile retardant base.