In Carbon County, Wyo., firefighters are evaluating areas north of the fire where they may have to defend buildings should the fire make a push in that direction.
Fire managers say storm cells moving in from the south mark the first time in over a week the weather forecast calls for conditions that may reduce fire activity.
The goal of fire managers is full suppression of the flames, but given the nature of the fuel -- dense, standing beetle-killed timber -- direct attack by ground crews is simply too dangerous an undertaking in most areas.
Firefighters, now numbering 514 in total, will not directly engage the fire in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness area, opting instead to patrol and assist Forest Service staff in keeping recreationists apprised of the area closure.