Small fire burning Saturday in Larimer County

An approximately 50-acre fire burned part of rural Larimer County northwest of Fort Collins Saturday.

Crews responded to the Lone Pine Fire Saturday morning in the area of the Cherokee Park Wildlife Area, northwest of Livermore, the Larimer County Sheriff's Office said. The fire is about two miles north of where Lone Pine Trailhead/Maxwell Ranch Road meets Larimer County Road 74E, also known as Red Feather Lakes Road.

No structures were threatened.

It was about 15 acres by 1 p.m. and 49 acres by 3:30 p.m., LCSO reported. Air support was also being requested, and the fire was 20 percent contained as of 7 p.m.

LCSO Emergency Services, Poudre Fire Authority, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and fire crews from Wellington and Glacier View were among the agencies that assisted Livermore fire.

Temperatures neared 70 degrees by mid-afternoon. The most recent U.S. Drought Monitor, released Thursday, shows a huge portion of Colorado newly engulfed in a moderate drought or abnormal dryness, the precursor to drought.

About 90 percent of the state is in drought territory, including Fort Collins. Moderate drought persists in Fort Collins and across much of Larimer County, which is more than 7 inches below average precipitation,

Reporter Jason Pohl covers breaking news for the Coloradoan. Follow him on Twitter: @pohl_jason. 

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