Lake Christine Fire moves to 72 percent contained, crews learn Sunday morning

Staff reports

**Firefighters meet Sunday morning at the Lake Christine Fire command center set up at Basalt High School.**

The Lake Christine Fire is 72 percent contained, firefighters learned Sunday morning during a briefing at the command center at Basalt High School.

Crews have been making headway on the fire’s north side the past few days and used heavy slurry and water drops as well as fire lines on the ground to contain that section above Missouri Heights.

In a Facebook post early Sunday, officials said: “Firefighters at morning briefing learned that all of their hard work is paying off and the #LakeChristineFire is now 72 percent contained!!”

At Saturday night’s community meeting residents learned all pre-evacuation noticed were lifted, the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office announced.

Officials reminded the crowd that just because the fire is contained, it is not fully out. It could burn for weeks.

There will be at least one more community meeting before the type 2 incident command team moves out. Their goal was full containment before they leave on Aug. 2.

The Lake Christine Fire, which started July 3 at the Basalt firing range, was reported Saturday night at 12,588 acres.

About a half-inch of rain fell on the Basalt and El Jebel areas Saturday in two separate squalls. It triggered a flash flood warning by the National Weather Service, but no issues were reported in Basalt and minor debris flow was reported in El Jebel.

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