ALBANY COUNTY — As of Sunday morning, the Mullen Fire is roughly 175,535 acres with approximately 1,224 firefighters and support staff.
The fire has increased to 25 percent containment, mostly along the western edge and down around the Colorado portion of the fire, and a piece to the northwest of Woods Landing.
Fire on the north edge continues to progress slowly due to northwest winds. On the southeast side, firefighters are prepared for spot fires. Firefighters are prioritizing control of fire spread in the finger at Woods Landing. Winds today may impact the availability of aircraft.
Active fire continues north of Albany. Bulldozers and aerial retardant have created a line between the fire edge and Centennial to keep the fire in check to the Middle Creek area. Fire progression towards Centennial is not expected but firefighters are getting structure protection ready as a fallback measure in case winds shift. Structure protection is also being prepared for Ryan Park. The community cleanup of brush will help firefighters protect structures.
Structure protection continues in the Rambler and Keystone areas. The fire has not moved much around Rambler. Most of the fire’s growth yesterday was west of Keystone where the pocket of unburned forest is expected to close over the next day or so.
Hwy 10 has reopened and the mandatory evacuation along Hwy 10 has been changed to pre-evacuation. This includes Woods Landing and Jelm south to Colorado. Residents of that area can access their property but need to remain ready to evacuate quickly if conditions change.
The power company is assessing this area to restore power. Hwy 230 remains closed westbound near Woods Landing. Boswell Creek Road is closed where it enters National Forest. All other closures and evacuations remain.
With a cold front entering the area, crews are expecting that small amounts of moisture and higher humidity will moderate fire behavior. Reduced fire spread is expected although, with cured fuels in place, the fire will continue to be active.
To stay updated on Mullen Fire activity, visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7208/.
