Live updates for Thursday: Firefighters work to get containment on wildfires burning across Colorado’s Front Range
Fire crews are spread across the Front Range as hot, dry weather is fueling three wildfires Wednesday in the foothills, forcing thousands of people from their homes.
One person has died in the fire near Lyons, according to the Boulder County sheriff.
The Alexander Mountain fire started Monday morning west of Loveland and by Wednesday morning was confirmed at 5,080 acres with numerous evacuations in Larimer County.
The Stone Canyon fire was reported Tuesday afternoon north of Lyons, and by Wednesday morning had burned 1,320 acres in Boulder County, with no significant growth overnight. It is burning just a few miles from the Alexander Mountain fire.
Late Tuesday night, the Quarry fire started in Jefferson County and had burned 130 acres by Wednesday morning.
Wednesday afternoon, the Boulder County Sheriff’s office announced a fourth fire that forced evacuations at the Lake Shore Park neighborhood near Gross Reservoir.
Jump to updates about individual fires: Stone Canyon | Alexander Mountain | Quarry | Lake Shore
The cause of the fires has not been released but investigators at the Alexander Mountain fire are asking anyone with information regarding the cause and origin of the fire to call the Forest Service tip line at 303-275-5266.
All those fighting the fires are concerned about the sweltering conditions. Near-record high temperatures are expected this week along with low humidity and high winds.
Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson said Tuesday the weather is not going to change for several days and conditions are about as bad as they can be to fight fires.
“It’s going to take us days to really manage it,” he said of the Stone Canyon fire. “The fire has been jumping around a little bit.”
As well as resources that are stretched thin across the state and the Western U.S. as major fires burn in California, Oregon and Idaho.
Smoke from the Front Range fires is causing air quality problems along the Interstate 25 corridor and to the east.
Jump to updates about individual fires: Stone Canyon | Alexander Mountain | Quarry | Lake Shore
Stone Canyon fire
LEFT: A Neptune T-10 Air Tanker drops fire retardant over the Stone Canyon fire Tuesday in Lyons. MIDDLE: Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson briefs Lyons residents outside the Lyons Visitor Center Tuesday. RIGHT: Jamie Barker, a spokesperson for Boulder police, details the communications methods for residents.(Tri Duong, Special to The Colorado Sun)
Current size: 1,548 acres
Location: Stone Mountain outside Lyons in Larimer County
Containment: 20%
Cause: Unknown
Impact: One person has died; five structures have been destroyed
ONGOING COVERAGE
Fire crews start to contain fire
Officials said Wednesday night they had 20% containment on the fire, which has slowed but continues to move to the northeast. Ground crews were working the fire lines overnight, and air support is expected to resume Thursday morning.
— 7:35 p.m. Wednesday
Coordinated help with evacuations
The sheriffs of Larimer and Boulder counties have been sharing resources between their departments, including helping with getting people out of the way of the oncoming flames.
Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson said his team went up to Larimer County to help Monday morning when the Alexander Mountain fire started. When the Stone Canyon fire started Tuesday near Lyons, Larimer County deputies went to Boulder County to help with evacuation notices, he said.
There is one death related to the Stone Canyon fire, and Gov. Jared Polis said he has not heard of any issues with notifications to residents in evacuation areas.
“I haven’t been made aware of any issues with the reverse 911,” Polis said Wednesday at a new conference in Loveland. “The areas under mandatory evacuation have had an extensive door-to-door outreach of every household that’s in those areas.”
Officials at the news conference didn’t specifically say if they made contact with the home where human remains were found, and said they weren’t discussing the death while the investigation was ongoing.
— 2:04 p.m. Wednesday
Bringing back firefighters, asking neighbors for help
Stan Hilkey, the executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Safety, said resources are being shared among the three fires burning on the Front Range. Two firefighting helicopters have also been brought in from Wyoming.
Hundreds of Colorado firefighters have been dispatched to help fight fires in California and other parts of the Western U.S., but Hilkey said he is asking fire chiefs around the state to bring back those firefighters to help here.
“The good news is we’re not severely impacted at the moment. … I do get a little worried about our long haul and our ability to staff these fires in a long-term way,” Hilkey said. “I think my message is to the fire chiefs who have sent staff there, we support that noble mission of helping our partners because our partners help us when we need it. But I also think as opportunity arises, and with the weather patterns we’re going to have for the rest of the summer, I’d feel a lot comfortable if we had a lot of those resources back in the state to help us with the long-term impacts.”
— 1:24 p.m. Wednesday
Calling on National Guard
Gov. Jared Polis has called out the Colorado National Guard to help with logistics in fighting the fires on the Front Range. Soldiers won’t be on the front line fighting the fires but will be used to help with support, traffic management and other support roles.
It’s the first time since the Marshall fire in December 2021 that the National Guard has been used to help with fire support.
— 1:14 p.m. Wednesday
Some evacuations being lifted
Residents in parts of northern and western Lyons have been given the all clear to return to their homes. Evacuations have been lifted in some areas, and residents can go to boco.org/infomap to check to confirm if they can return.
— 11:50 a.m. Wednesday
At least one dead and five structures destroyed
One person has died, at least five structures have been destroyed and more than 1,300 acres have burned, with no significant growth overnight, officials said Wednesday morning.
“Should things get hot and start burning again, we do have a lot of law enforcement resources staged here and also on standby,” Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson said. “If we do need to do additional evacuations, we can ramp up quickly and get people out of harm’s way.”
— 10:16 a.m. Wednesday
LEFT: Isabelle and Mick Tresemer, residents of Lyons, gaze toward the fire nearing from Stone Canyon on Tuesday at the Visitor Center. They have been residents of Lyons for two years, and this is their first experience with a nearby natural disaster as homeowners. TOP RIGHT: The couple thinks carefully about what to take from their home as they planned to evacuate. Mick, an artist, contemplates whether his vehicle has enough room to pack his vinyl record collection, which was given to him by a friend long ago. BOTTOM RIGHT: The Tresemers use a cellphone app to check the movement of the Stone Canyon fire after packing and compare it to the parallel Alexander fire. They decided not to evacuate but were keeping a close eye for any orders to move out the area. (Tri Duong, Special to The Colorado Sum)
Two structures destroyed
At least two structures have been destroyed and more than 1,300 acres have burned, with no significant growth overnight, officials said Wednesday morning.
When the Stone Canyon fire started about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, air resources from the Alexander Mountain fire burning to the north in Larimer County were quickly diverted to help control the spread, Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson said.
“We were fortunate to get air resources today because of the Alexander Mountain fire. We’re doing everything we can to get everybody we need here to fight this fire,” said Johnson, who added he had been “on pins and needles” since the Alexander Mountain fire started Monday.
— 8:40 a.m. Wednesday
Alexander Mountain fire
Current size: 7,648 acres
Location: Big Thompson Canyon west of Loveland
Containment: 1%
Cause: Unknown
Impact: 3,200 properties evacuated; no injuries or burned homes
ONGOING COVERAGE
Smoke creates problem for pilots
As the fire continues to move to the north and west, fire crews worked on the east side of the fire to protect the Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch, which is to the east of where the fire started Monday. The fire has not jump Highway 34 to the south.
Heavy smoke created visibility issues for aircraft, but they continued to drop slurry and water on and around the flames.
— 9:45 p.m. Wednesday
More evacuation orders
People in Glen Haven and to the west are on voluntary evacuation order as the fire moves closer to Estes Park.
On Wednesday morning campers at Cheley’s Boys’ Trail’s End camp, near Glen Haven, packed their belongings and were relocated to the Land O’Peaks site just south of Estes Park. The girls’ camp, in the same area, was packed and ready to move if evacuation orders were issued.
“They’re in a pretty populated area, so we’re just waiting to hear from authorities,” said Jeff Cheley, the camp’s owner and operator. “The goal is to keep everything as normal as possible as long as we can.” Over the course of the day about 60 campers were moved to the other site.
— 5:01 p.m. Wednesday
Feds to help with firefighting costs
Federal funds will be available to cover the costs of fighting the Alexander Mountain and Stone Canyon fires in northern Colorado.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved the state’s request for federal Fire Management Assistance Grant as the fires “threatened such destruction that it would constitute a major disaster.”
The funding will pay 75% of the state’s firefighting costs. The grants do not cover individual home or business owners and do not cover other infrastructure damage, FEMA said.
— 12:30 p.m. Wednesday
Old burn scars helping firefighters
Mike Smith, the incident commander for the Alexander Mountain fire, said Wednesday morning crews are focusing on the western and northwestern sides of the fire where it is most active. Firefighters are getting help from the burn scars from the Bobcat Gulch fire from 2000 and the Cameron Peak fire from 2020.
“We’re really looking at the Bobcat and Cameron Peak fire scars. Those are going to really help us to keep that fire from marching too far forward,” Smith said. “It did go into that Bobcat fire from 2000 yesterday and we saw a decrease in fire behavior. As it gets into the Cameron, it’s even going to do more. So we’ve got some good options up there.”
He said the rocky terrain in the Big Thompson Canyon is helping keep the fire from jumping over Highway 34, which connects Loveland to Estes Park, and they are closely monitoring that side of the fire. The highway remains closed.
— 11:34 a.m. Wednesday
Wednesday morning’s update
The fast-moving fire started Monday west of Loveland near the mouth of the Big Thompson Canyon and exploded to more than 5,000 acres in just over a day. No homes have burned and no injuries have been reported.
Wednesday morning officials said the fire did not grow much overnight. Firefighters will focus on Wednesday to protect the communities of Cedar Cove, Cedar Park, Storm Mountain, Sylvan Dale Ranch and eastern communities.
Aircraft will continue to work the fire with nearly 300 firefighters on the ground. Crews are working to keep the fire to the north of Highway 34, officials said Wednesday morning.
More than 3,200 properties have been evacuated.
—Update at 8:37 a.m. Wednesday
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Quarry fire
LEFT: An aerial attack firefighting helicopter returns from dropping water on the Quarry Fire burning near Deer Creek Canyon Park as pictured at South Valley Road in the Ken Caryl Ranch neighborhood Wednesday in Jefferson County. TOP RIGHT: Flames leap from the Quarry Fire burning near Deer Creek Canyon Park. BOTTOM RIGHT: Onlookers watch the Quarry Fire burning near Deer Creek Canyon Park. (Photos by Andy Colwell, Special to The Colorado Sun)
Current size: 350 acres
Location: Deer Creek Canyon in Jefferson County
Containment: 0%
Cause: Unknown
Impact: 600 homes evacuated; no injuries or burned homes
ONGOING COVERAGE
“It’s like a war zone out here”
John Vierthaler, who lives in Deer Creek Canyon, said he could see flames approaching his home when the Quarry fire ignited Tuesday night.
“We saw a lot of flames,” he said. “It was very, very disconcerting. There was a huge amount of smoke.”
Vierthaler hasn’t evacuated from his home because it’s too difficult to get his five horses and two donkeys ready to leave. He’s seen an armada of firefighting aircraft battling the fire throughout the day Wednesday.
“It’s like a war zone out here,” he said.
Vierthaler said he and his wife have two pickup trucks ready to go should the fire get closer to their property. All of their critical documents and medications are packed, too.
The Quarry fire isn’t the first time the couple has faced nearby flames. They evacuated during the Hayman fire in 2002, but the blaze ultimately never got close enough to be a real threat.
— 3:45 p.m. Wednesday
Firefighting aircraft use Mann Reservoir to fight Quarry fire
— 2:39 p.m. Wednesday
“Every neighborhood in this facility is at risk”
The Quarry fire burning in Jefferson County has consumed about 200 acres, but so far no structures have been lost.
Mark Techmeyer, a spokesman for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, said firefighters are keeping flames out of neighborhoods, but that the fire is encroaching on homes.
“Every neighborhood in this facility is at risk,” he said.
Techmeyer said there are helicopters and airplanes battling the blaze.
The fire investigation hasn’t really started, he said, but “we know right where it started.” He said the ignition source is suspicious.
Anytime you see a fire like that start at 9 p.m., “it makes you scratch your head a little bit,” he said.
— 11:45 a.m. Wednesday
The Quarry fire burns in southwestern Jefferson County. (Douglas County Sheriff’s Office handout)
The Quarry fire burns in southwestern Jefferson County. (Douglas County Sheriff’s Office handout)
Douglas County moves to Stage 2 fire restrictions
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office announced that the county will be moving to stricter fire restrictions effective immediately as the Quarry fire continues to burn.
Stage 2 restrictions include:
- No open burning of any kind
- No use of fireworks, including professional displays
- No fires in chimineas, patio fire pits or other portable fireplaces
- No campfires at developed campgrounds or picnic areas
- No use of model rockets.
Stage 2 restrictions do allow:
- Fires within liquid- or gas-fueled stoves, grills, fire pits and appliances.
- Residential use of charcoal grills
- Fires contained in fireplaces and stoves within buildings
- Fire suppression or department training fires
Violations of fire restrictions are punishable by up to $1,000.
— 11:20 a.m. Wednesday
Fire started Tuesday night
A Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy discovered the fire in Deer Creek Canyon at about 9 p.m. Tuesday, said Mark Techmeyer, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office. It was burning on only about 100 square feet at the time, but within three hours it had grown to 100 acres.
Roughly 600 homes have been evacuated in Jefferson County across five subdivisions.
— 8:40 a.m. Wednesday
Lake Shore fire
Current size: Six acres
Location: Gross Reservoir in Boulder County
Cause: Human-caused
Impact: Two structures burned; evacuations lifted
ONGOING COVERAGE
Fire likely caused by people working on a house
During a news conference Wednesday afternoon, the Boulder sheriff said the fire was accidentally stated by two people working on a home.
Firefighting planes were able to surround the burn area in flame retardant, stopping the blaze before it got out of control. Most all evacuations have been lifted.
— 6 p.m. Wednesday
At least one structure has been destroyed
A television news helicopter captured images of what appeared to be a home destroyed by the Lake Shore fire. Flames were near other homes.
— 4:15 p.m. Wednesday
Fourth Front Range wildfire forces evacuations near Gross Reservoir in Boulder County
A new wildfire that ignited Wednesday afternoon near Gross Reservoir in Boulder County has evacuations.
The county sheriff’s office says the fire is burning near the Lake Shore Park neighborhood on the northeastern edge of the reservoir.
Flagstaff Road has been closed as a result of the fire.
— 3:30 p.m. Wednesday