Though the Mullen Fire is still eight miles from Centennial, crews are beginning to prepare the hamlet for the blaze's arrival.

Operations Section Chief John Wallace said in a briefing Wednesday that firefighters will be in the area Thursday assessing buildings. They will also begin laying down hoses and setting up sprinkler systems.

"The fire is still quite a ways from Centennial," Wallace said. He added that officials are setting up a plan to determine what triggers an evacuation.

Wallace said the fire is slowly creeping north, attributing its slow movement to heavy snowfall on Labor Day.

Crews are continuing to protect other Albany County communities.

The fire began burning in remote parts of the Medicine Bow National Forest in mid-September. It's currently over 160,000 acres in size and is 14% contained.

Officials say the fire's cause is still under investigation, which law enforcement is leading.

This story will be updated. 

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