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Colder, Wetter Conditions Help Crystal Firefighting Efforts

Gov. Hickenlooper talks to reporters after surveying the fire burn area.
Grace Hood
Gov. Hickenlooper talks to reporters after surveying the fire burn area.

Intermittent rain on Wednesday allowed crews to make significant progress battling the wildfire west of Fort Collins.

Governor John Hickenlooper traveled to Fort Collins to tour the Crystal Fire burn area and see the destruction caused by the 3200 acre blaze.

On Sunday he authorized $1.7 million in state funds that could be used to fight the fire. Talking to reporters afterward he said he was thankful for the efforts of the crews. But says dry conditions will create a challenging wildfire season in the months ahead. “We have a state Wildfire Preparedness Plan in place. I think we’re as ready as we can be in terms of having contingencies laid out and plans in place,” Hickenlooper said.

He added that local communities need to look at how best to mitigate fire risk to homes in mountainous and forested areas.