Firefighters Working To Increase Containment Before Temperatures Rise

The Halfway Hill fire saw minimal activity Thursday thanks to cooler temperatures and area cloud cover. Despite those conditions the fire remains active and area and road closures remain in effect. Firefighters are making progress containing the western edge of the perimeter and continuing to patrol contained line near the residences. They are also working directly along the southern perimeter, using hand tools to build fireline. On the northern side of the fire, in Chalk Canyon, fire crews and heavy equipment are constructing indirect fireline. As the fire approaches the indirect fireline, firefighters will take action to suppress the fire. This strategy allows fire managers to take advantage of roads and natural features, such as ridges and meadows, to stop fire spread. Firefighters are seizing the opportunity provided by the more favorable weather conditions and preparing for an increase in fire behavior once the weather gets very hot again. Temperatures are expected to increase over the weekend. Incident managers now list the fire at 15% containment.