Colorado wildfire explodes past 100,000 acres, forcing immediate evacuations

The Cameron Peak Fire that's burning in the northern part of Rocky Mountain National Park and beyond has reached 102,596 acres, as of Tuesday morning, with just 4 percent containment. This growth has made the wildfire the 5th largest that Colorado has ever seen (including complex fires), topped only by the Pine Gulch Fire (139,007 acres), the Hayman Fire (137,760 acres), the West Fork Fire Complex (110,405 acres), and the Spring Creek Fire (108,045 acres).

A number of closures and evacuations have been put in place due to the blaze, including a mandatory evacuations for nearby communities of Lady Moon and Red Feather Highlands. Residents in these areas have been instructed to evacuate immediately, not returning home to collect items. Red Feather, Crystal Lakes, Glen Haven Retreat, Glen Haven, Storm Mountain, and various other roads in that area have also been issued mandatory evacuation orders. See official orders here.

The fire has also resulted in closures at Rocky Mountain National Park, including Trail Ridge Road and Old Fall River Road, as well as several backcountry campsites and trails in the northern area of the park.

By afternoon Monday, the fire was announced to have grown to 89,321 acres before pushing past 100,000 acres on Monday night. The blaze has grown around 75,000 acres since Friday.

See official updates on this fire here.

Many hope that a major snowstorm that's hitting Colorado will help slow the spread of the burn and give firefighters some help in stopping the blaze. Currently, 829 personnel are assigned to the fire.