The recent explosion of wildfires in Colorado and Wyoming, including the largest fire in Colorado history, has forced the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests to temporarily close all national forest land in Clear Creek, Jefferson, Gilpin, Boulder, and Larimer counties, according to a release from the U.S. Forest Service.

Wildfires have torched nearly 700 square miles in northern Colorado and southern Wyoming, and weather forecasts show no immediate signs of precipitation or moisture that could aid in firefighting efforts, according to the release.

Extreme drought conditions, dried-out terrain, and fire-conducive weather all factored into the decision to close the land areas to all visitors, the forest service said.

“The number of large fires and extreme fire behavior we are seeing in our forests this year is historic,” Forest Supervisor Monte Williams said. “These temporary closures are necessary to protect the public and our firefighters.”

The closures are to remain in effect until conditions improve.

Fierce winds pushed the Cameron Peak fire west of Fort Collins across arid terrain Tuesday and forced fire crews to retreat, according to InciWeb, an official fire information website.

Firefighters lost more than 10% in fire containment despite a massive inter-agency effort, officials said. The fire was 51% contained Tuesday and had burned 205,005 acres.

Nearly 1,600 people worked to stop its spread as the flames lit dry beetle-killed lodgepole pine and grasses in national forest land, officials reported.

As crews pulled back from the south side of the fire between The Retreat and Storm Peak, they turned on pumps and sprinklers to try and protect structures.

On Monday, crews tried to prevent the fire from spreading eastward and used helicopters to suppress the blaze by dropping thousands of gallons of retardant, Paul Delmerico, operations section chief of the Cameron Peak fire, said.

“We ran those from sunup to sundown yesterday and that was largely effective,” Delmerico said.

West of the Cameron Peak fire, another wildfire known as the East Troublesome fire consumed 15,546 acres in Grand County since igniting last Wednesday.The fire, which is burning in terrain similar to the Cameron Peak fire, was 10% contained as of Tuesday and 293 firefighters worked to build containment lines with the help of dozers and air support, officials said.

Pre-evacuation orders for the Big Horn Park subdivision were issued Monday.

Farther south, two fires burned west of Boulder. The CalWood and Lefthand Canyon fires forced thousands to evacuate their homes in Jamestown and Ward.

The CalWood fire, which started Saturday, grew to 9,365 acres and is 17% contained as aerial equipment, engines and ground crews work to halt its spread, officials said. The fire damaged 26 homes, destroying 22 of them, the Boulder Office of Emergency Management reported.

The Lefthand Canyon fire had reached 470 acres and 4% containment as of Tuesday , according to InciWeb.

A fifth fire erupted Monday west of Silverton near the Ice Lakes Trailhead in the San Juan National Forest, according to a Forest Service news release.

The Ice fire, which burned in heavy conifer timber, forced about 18 hikers to be airlifted from a 9 mile-long trail. The blaze was 320 acres with no containment reported as of Monday.

The Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control is urging Colorado residents to assist firefighting efforts by being even more careful than usual.

“Exercise caution, follow directives from state and local officials, help protect our fellow residents, natural resources, and our wildland firefighters during this elevated fire threat.” said agency director Mike Morgan. 

Suggested precautions include avoiding driving through tall grass, ensuring safety chains are secured while towing to avoid any sparks, and making sure all campfires are completely out before leaving a campground.

“If your campfire is too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave,” officials warned.

Here’s a look into Colorado’s fire situation:

Cameron Peak fire

Size and location: 205,004 acres burning west of Fort Collins in the Roosevelt National Forest

Containment and response: 51% contained, 1,542 firefighters

Cause and start date: Aug. 13, unknown cause

Weather: Wind gusts up to 45 mph and humidity between 18 and 23%

Evacuations: Voluntary evacuations along Colorado 34

CalWood fire

Size and Location: 9,365 acres burning north of Boulder near Jamestown

Containment and response: 17% contained, 255 firefighters

Cause and start date: Oct. 17, unknown cause

Weather: Temperatures in mid 60s and winds up to 25 mph

Evacuations: Jamestown

East Troublesome fire

Size and location: 15,546 acres burning in Grand County west of Lake Granby

Containment and response: 10% contained, 293 firefighters

Cause and start date: Oct. 14, unknown cause

Weather: Winds up to 30 mph

Evacuations: Pre-evacuation for the Big Horn Park subdivision

Lefthand Canyon fire

Size and location: 470 acres northwest of Boulder near Ward.

Containment and response: 4% contained, 115 firefighters

Cause and start date: Oct. 18, unknown cause

Weather: Winds up to 45 mph with 20% humidity 

Evacuations: Ward

Ice fire

Size and location: 320 acres burning near Ice Lake Basin trailhead in the San Juan mountains

Containment and response: 0% contained, 56 firefighters

Cause and start date: Oct. 19, unknown cause

Weather: Dry and breezy

Evacuations: None