(Meeker-AP) -- Cooler temperatures and much-needed rains are helping to calm persistent wildfires burning on more than 55,000 acres across Colorado, but the threat is far from over.
The Big Fish Fire burning in wilderness about 45 miles east of Meeker grew more than 1,000 acres during the weekend to 17,056 acres. Fire crews are monitoring the area but plan to let the fire burn. Helicopters were being used to drop water to keep it from spreading outside its intended boundary.
Meantime, high humidity is slowing the spread of the nearby Lost Lakes fire, which grew about 400 acres to 5,538 acres.
More than a half-inch of rain fell last night on two wildfires north of Steamboat Springs. Those fires have already charred more than 31,000 acres, but are about 90 percent contained.
So far, it has cost one-point-five million dollars to manage the fires, which have been burning since July.