The Stone Canyon fire that destroyed five structures and is linked to one death is 100% contained, leaving investigators to scour the blackened area near Lyons to figure out what caused the blaze.
Federal investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were looking into the fire alongside Boulder County authorities, the agency said on X. The federal law enforcement agency investigates acts of arson, as well as terrorism and illegal storage of explosives.
The cause of the fire is so far unknown, but the involvement of the ATF indicates authorities suspect it was human-caused.
Local authorities announced Sunday night after completing aerial surveys that the fire was fully contained and that all evacuations and road closures were lifted. It burned 1,557 acres and had not grown in the prior four days.
“People are just so relieved and grateful,” said Hollie Rogin, mayor of Lyons. “Everyone is hoping to get a little sleep. Of course we are devastated about the loss of homes and the loss of life.”
Rogin and her husband, Patrick, evacuated their home in Lyons last Tuesday after receiving an alert via phone. She grabbed her passport and their two dogs, Pearl and Poncho, and dropped them off at Updog Daycare in Boulder.
“We found what I think was the last hotel room in Longmont,” Rogin said.
The mayor said she was touched by the small town’s generosity during the fire, including when the city put out a call for batteries and other donations for the fire crews, who had come from as far as Pennsylvania. Within three hours, there were three pickup trucks full of donated supplies, she said.
“We really know how to come together when times get tough,” Rogin said. “We saw that during the flood. We saw that during the height of COVID.”
“At one point we had 250 firefighters in our little tiny town of 2,200 people.”
The mayor said she expects an extra-large turnout at Wednesday night’s regularly scheduled summer concert series, when people gather to hear music at Sandstone Park. People are filled with relief and gratitude and will want to celebrate, she said.
“This fire is contained and we are so grateful,” she said, “but I am personally going to be on pins and needles until it snows. I would encourage everyone to have two takeaways — adhere to fire ban rules and be prepared. Have your go-bag ready.”
Meanwhile, fire crews continued to battle two other fires in the Front Range, including the 10,000-acre Alexander Mountain fire in Larimer County, which was 54% contained as of Sunday afternoon. They were also making progress on the Quarry fire, in Jefferson County.
Rain fell around Denver on Sunday night, bringing some relief to firefighting operations and clearing smoke from the air.
The fires that started last week forced thousands of people from their homes and burned a combined 52 homes and outbuildings.
In Jefferson County, authorities said the Quarry fire was human caused, but they are not sure yet whether it was accidental or intentional.
Jefferson County authorities also said Monday afternoon that they were “so close” to allowing evacuated residents to return to their homes but did not want to give a timeline.
“We are very optimistic that we are well on our way to getting people back in their homes safely so they will not have to evacuate again,” said Karlyn Tilley, a spokesperson for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department. “We are very excited that this is going faster than we even thought it was going to.”
Fire crews worked through the night on a controlled burn that began on the southwest side of the fire and then turned the corner heading north. They were using bulldozers and chainsaws to remove the fire’s fuel “so that the fire has nothing to eat,” she said. “It’s blowing in the right direction and it’s burning the right things. We are very excited about that.”
Sunday night’s rain was welcomed by firefighters, but they were hoping for a more soaking rain Monday night, which would speed up the process of allowing residents to return home, Tilley said. Fire crews have been working 24-7 and could use “help from Mother Nature,” she said.
“It’s steep. It’s grueling. It’s hot. They are staying overnight extra hours because they want to get the residents back into their homes.”
Residents will be allowed to return 48 hours ahead of the people who want to hike on trails in the canyon or drive through the burned area, she said. “We just want to give them a moment to breathe,” Tilley said.
The fire has burned 527 acres and is at 45% containment. “There will be firefighters throughout this area for weeks to come,” she said. “It is a long, arduous process to make sure there aren’t any flare-ups.”