Nearly 600 homes evacuated after third wildfire starts

Good morning, Colorado.

We now have three wildfires burning in the foothills around metro Denver. But before we get to that, I need to address something: We messed up.

After publishing a story about bipartisanship at the Colorado legislature, we discovered a tabulation error in our analysis that changed our findings. Instead of seeing high levels of bipartisanship, we found the second-lowest rate of bipartisanship in the five years we’ve been analyzing votes.

Accuracy and transparency are at the core of what we do. If we are to hold others accountable, we must do the same to ourselves. And if you read Monday’s story, we hope you take the time to see the updated version to clarify your understanding of the issue.

Now, let’s check in on today’s news.

Danika Worthington

Presentation Editor

THE NEWS

WILDFIRES

Nearly 600 homes evacuated after wildfire ignites overnight in southwest Jefferson County

Colorado’s bad luck continues. After a fire started Monday and then another during the day Tuesday, we now have a third that started Thursday night. The Quarry fire, an estimated 130 acres, forced 600 homes to evacuate in Jefferson County.

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• Alexander Mountain fire near Loveland explodes to 5,000 acres Tuesday amid hot, dry conditions; thousands evacuated. The wildfire, which ignited Monday morning, rapidly grew as high temperatures, wind and low relative humidity fueled the flames, Olivia Prentzel reports.
• Second wildfire in northern Colorado forces more evacuations, including parts of Lyons. Stone Canyon fire started Tuesday amid high heat and wind gusts. Resources were quickly diverted from nearby Alexander Mountain fire, David Krause reports. 
• Live updates: 3 wildfires burning in the foothills north and west of Denver. Check here throughout the day to get the latest on the fires. 
• Keep track of every major Colorado wildfire. Here are the latest updates on active fires burning across the state.
• How to prepare for a wildfire in Colorado. As wildfire season grows longer and more catastrophic, experts say to map evacuation routes and gather emergency supplies.

ENVIRONMENT

“Where am I going to live?”: Questions for Colorado doctors amid choking smoke and ozone

From respiratory patients to trail runners to kids playing outdoors, horrendous Front Range air quality requires some medical advice. That’s why Michael Booth turned to a pulmonologist at National Jewish Health for answers to some of your common questions about this crappy air quality.

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CRIME & COURTS

Colorado’s youth corrections staff could soon wear tiny, belt-loop cameras to collect audio, video

After 70 kids and teenagers complained in the past year that they were mistreated while locked in detention centers, Colorado’s child protection ombudsman is calling for audio surveillance — not just video surveillance which is used currently — in the youth corrections system. Jennifer Brown has more.

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MORE NEWS

• Police recruit who lost both legs in “barbaric hazing ritual” sues Denver, paramedics and officers. Victor Moses, 29, alleges in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that aggressive officers knocked him down multiple times in the second round of “fight day” last year.
• Lowry Ranch neighbors allowed to testify in hearings about oil and gas drilling near Aurora Reservoir. “Affected person” status is granted to 12 families, despite Crestone Peak pointing out that none of them live within 2,000 feet of drilling sites. 

Section by Danika Worthington | Presentation Editor

THE COLORADO REPORT

• Three years after being accused of tampering with voting machines, Tina Peters heads to trial. The former Mesa County clerk’s trial begins today in a Grand Junction courtroom. Peters is accused of tampering with voting machines in search of election fraud in support of former President Donald Trump.
  — CPR News
• Washington native tribe pulls out of agreement to provide wolves to Colorado. The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation have informed CPW of its decision to rescind an earlier agreement to send the wolves here “out of respect for the sovereignty, culture, and impacts to membership of the Indian Tribes in Colorado.”
  — Fort Collins Coloradoan 🔑
• Thieves slam stolen car through two Colorado Springs gun stores. CSPD say a stolen car was driven into a pair of gun stores early this morning and the suspects stole multiple handguns.
  — KRDO
• Should Denver put more limits on where gas stations can open? City Council members pitch ideas. Three city council members proposed a zoning amendment Tuesday that would mandate buffers around existing gas stations to prevent more from being built as a way to prioritize housing and other needed development.
  — The Denver Post 🔑

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

Section by Kevin Jeffers | Product Team

THE OPINION PAGE

COLUMNS

• The weirdest thing about the presidential race is, well, almost everything.  But maybe the strangest thing is how quickly and thoroughly Kamala Harris has been embraced by skeptical Democrats
  — Mike Littwin
• Kamala Harris for president — and for the people.  Making the best political case against Trump takes the VP’s special prosecutorial skills
  — Craig Silverman  

COMMUNITY

• Climate change is exacerbating Colorado’s mental health crisis. We need leaders who will tackle it head-on.  It may seem like a small thing, but even a single action like voting can help some of those who experience eco-anxiety
  — Vincent Atchity, president and CEO of Mental Health Colorado.

The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy and submit columns, suggest writers or provide feedback at opinion@coloradosun.com.

SunLit

BOOKS

The Bookies Bookstore suggests some offbeat tales for all ages

Each week as part of SunLit — The Sun’s literature section — we feature staff recommendations from bookstores across Colorado. This week, the staff from The Bookies Bookstore in Denver recommends:

• “Five-Star Stranger” by Kat Tang, an app-based tale of personal connection
• “The Last Apple Tree” by Claudia Mills, a kids’ story of friendship and hard family history
• “Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea” by Rebecca Thorne, a cozy fantasy complete with dragons

Read what the bookstore staff had to say about each. Pick up a copy and support your local bookstores at the same time.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Section by Kevin Simpson | Writer

Stay safe out there.

— Danika & the whole staff of The Sun

The Colorado Sun is part of The Trust Project. Read our policies.

Corrections & Clarifications

Notice something wrong? The Colorado Sun has an ethical responsibility to fix all factual errors. Request a correction by emailing corrections@coloradosun.com.