Wildfire burning in northern Larimer County now 150 acres, 40% contained

A lightning-caused wildfire burning in northern Larimer County has grown to 150 acres as of Tuesday night, with 40% containment reported.

The fire started late Monday evening from multiple lightning strikes, according to the Larimer County Sheriff's Office. It's burning near Halligan Reservoir, which is about 30 miles northwest of Fort Collins if measuring by straight line, and emergency responders have called it the Halligan Fire.

Below are our updates from Tuesday. Click here for Wednesday updates about the Halligan Fire.

Halligan Fire acreage holds steady

The Halligan Fire remains at 150 acres, the sheriff's office said in a tweet about 10 p.m. Tuesday

Firefighting operations will resume Wednesday morning and will include additional fire personnel, the sheriff's office said.

— Sarah Kyle

Halligan Fire acreage updated, containment reported

The Larimer County Sheriff's Office told the Coloradoan at 4 p.m. better mapping of the fire puts it at 150 acres with 40% containment. There are 45 fire personnel working the fire Tuesday with an expected 55 to join the staffing Wednesday for 100 total.

Sheriff's office spokesman David Moore said he believes the fire is burning on public and private land.

— Miles Blumhardt

Portion of Cherokee Park State Wildlife Area closed to public access

Colorado Parks and Wildlife will be temporarily closing to the public the middle unit of its Cherokee Park State Wildlife Area to public access Tuesday.

The agency told the Coloradoan the best access to the remote fire is on its public access road through the state wildlife area and the road will be closed to allow fire crews to work the fire.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife said the fire was near the middle unit of the state wildlife area but had not burned any of its land. The unit wraps around the northwest corner of Halligan Reservoir, north of the Cherokee Park Road (Larimer County Road 80C).

— Miles Blumhardt

Halligan Reservoir expansion: Cost quadruples as review milestones near

Halligan Fire sparked by lightning

A lightning-caused wildfire in northern Larimer County has grown to 125 acres as of about noon Tuesday, with no containment reported.

Two helicopters and ground crews are engaged in fighting the fire, which emergency responders have called the Halligan Fire, according to the Larimer County Sheriff's Office.

The fire started late Monday evening from multiple lightning strikes, the sheriff's office said on Twitter. It's burning near Halligan Reservoir, which is about 30 miles northwest of Fort Collins.

Livermore Fire Protection District, which responded to the fire when it started Monday, reported on its Twitter account Tuesday morning that there was 0% containment on the fire but that no structures were threatened at that time. The fire is burning in rugged terrain, which is making it difficult for ground crews to access.

The sheriff's office has taken command of the Halligan Fire and said Tuesday that 50 personnel were on scene and more crews were ordered.

Sgt. Kevin Johnston from Larimer County Sheriff's Office Emergency Services Unit told the Larimer County commissioners during their Tuesday morning meeting that two Type I helicopters were deployed and hauling water from nearby Halligan Reservoir to fight the fire.

Related: Unincorporated Larimer County enacts fire restrictions ahead of Fourth of July weekend

He said access to the wildfire was limited Monday night because of darkness, which prevented resources to battle the blaze until Tuesday.

Halligan Reservoir is on the North Fork of the Poudre River and is used as a water supply for North Poudre Irrigation Company.

The city of Fort Collins owns the Halligan Reservoir dam and the land immediately surrounding and underneath the reservoir.

The National Weather Service in Boulder reported there have been more than 78,000 lightning flashes in Colorado between June 15 and June 27.

— Miles Blumhardt

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

Coloradoan reporter Sady Swanson contributed to this report.

Reporter Miles Blumhardt looks for stories that impact your life. Be it news, outdoors, sports — you name it, he wants to report it. Have a story idea? Contact him at milesblumhardt@coloradoan.com or on Twitter @MilesBlumhardt. Support his work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today. 

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: June 28 updates: Halligan Fire in Larimer County grows to 150 acres