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Colorado wildfire updates for Friday, Aug. 2, 2024
One of the multiple fires burning along Colorado’s Front Range this week — the Quarry fire in Jefferson County, just west of Denver — is being investigated as arson, law enforcement officials announced Friday morning.
This week’s wildfires have killed one person, damaged or destroyed at least 30 buildings, prompted the evacuation of thousands of people along the Front Range and triggered Gov. Jared Polis to deploy the Colorado National Guard.
Fire crews in Boulder County extinguished the small, multi-acre Lake Shore fire on Thursday, but another wildfire sparked in western Colorado — near Nucla — just hours later.
All four major fires currently burning — the Quarry fire in Jefferson County, the Alexander Mountain fire in Larimer County, the Stone Canyon fire in Boulder and Larimer counties and the Bucktail fire in Montrose County — began this week and grew rapidly, fueled by hot, dry weather and arid conditions on the ground.
Click here to skip to a specific fire: Quarry fire | Alexander Mountain fire | Stone Canyon fire | Bucktail fire | Wildfire map
Quarry fire near Deer Creek Canyon
- Access the latest evacuation map here
Last updated at 5 p.m.
The Quarry fire grew 50 acres Friday to a total of 480 acres with 10% containment, a Jefferson County sheriff’s spokeswoman said during a Friday afternoon briefing.
Jefferson County sheriff’s investigators continue to search for clues as to who started the fire after announcing Friday morning that it is being investigated as arson. They have not specified whether they suspect the fire was started intentionally or by accident.
The fire sparked in Deer Creek Canyon Park above Grizzly Drive where the trail has multiple switchbacks, investigators said.
“The reason it’s an arson investigation is that we preliminarily believe that this fire is human-caused in some manner,” Kevin Bost, division chief for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office’s criminal investigations division, said.
Officials declined to release any other information about the arson investigation or whether they’d identified any suspects. They asked anyone with tips or home security camera footage that may be helpful to call (303) 271-5612.
A Jefferson County sheriff’s spokeswoman said firefighters on Friday were able to dig a trench that connected with another fire line being plowed by bulldozers. That connection created a fire line along the south and east perimeters.
Friday afternoon winds caused the fire to turn back into a previously burned area. That sent a plume of black smoke into the air, but the sheriff’s spokeswoman said that was not a cause for alarm.
So far, firefighters have been successful in keeping the fire away from homes. Firefighting crews are in the neighborhoods to spray water and pull anything combustible away from buildings, she said.
The fire was still about a quarter-mile from the nearest house — located in the Deer Creek Mesa subdivision.
Three helicopters and two planes dropped water and fire retardant throughout the day, and 225 firefighters were working on the ground Friday.
That includes two hotshot crews, groups of highly experienced, specialized firefighters who train year-round to fight fires on tough terrain, according to Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Mark Techmeyer.
The Deer Creek Mesa, Kuehster, McKinney Ranch, Murphy Gulch, Sampson and Maxwell areas remain under mandatory evacuation Friday, according to the county’s evacuation map.
The Hilldale Pines, Oehlmann Park, Silver Ranch, West Ranch, Homestead and Silver Ranch South neighborhoods are on pre-evacuation notice.
Deer Creek Canyon Park, South Valley Park, Hildebrand Ranch Park and Reynolds Park are closed until further notice because of firefighting operations, county open space officials said.
Sheriff’s officials announced Friday afternoon they were working on a plan to give evacuees access to their homes once it was safe. Officials asked all Quarry fire evacuees to come to Dakota Ridge High School, 13399 W. Coal Mine Ave., with proof of residency between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday or Sunday to get a re-entry pass.
The sheriff’s office, however, has not determined when residents can get back into their homes — the distribution of re-entry passes is for “preparation purposes,” they said.
The wildfire was discovered by a sheriff’s deputy around 9 p.m. Tuesday and charred hundreds of acres in less than an hour.
Alexander Mountain fire near Loveland
- Access the latest evacuation map here
Last updated at 5:45 p.m.
The Alexander Mountain fire is burning on more than 9,000 acres west of Loveland and was 5% contained Friday morning.
On Friday afternoon firefighters were concentrating on the western side of the fire near the Cedar Park subdivision, said Jayson Coil, the fire’s operations section chief. The were worried the fire would increase in the late afternoon and doing what the could to prevent the fire from spreading.
Firefighters want to prevent the fire from jumping U.S. 34 toward Drake and Sheep Mountain, Coil said. They also worry that the fire could block fire crews only entry and exit points to the blaze.
Private insurance companies have sent fire engines to protect specific homes, Coil said. Those fire engine crews will not move to fight fires in other areas.
They also are trying to keep the Alexander Mountain fire from burning into the scar left by the 2020 Cameron Peak fire.
As of Friday, the fire had damaged or destroyed at least 24 homes and buildings as it burned across Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and private land about 10 miles west of Loveland.
Larimer County officials were able to enter several neighborhoods Thursday and confirmed at least two dozen structures — a combination of homes and outbuildings — in the Palisade Mountain Drive and Snow Top Drive areas were damaged or destroyed.
It’s historically been difficult to identify the correct homeowners in a wildfire, sheriff’s office Capt. Tim Keeton said. Anyone who believes their home has been affected should call the sheriff’s office at 970-980-2800.
“We’re aware of potential for incoming thunderstorms which could cause wind shifts,” fire officials said in a Friday morning update. “Firefighters will be focusing on maintaining lines, managing their safety and the safety of the community.”
As of Friday morning, 327 firefighters were battling the fire, focusing on protecting the communities of Cedar Park and Storm Mountain along with homes and critical infrastructure along U.S. 34.
The land south of U.S. 34 has more timber and fuel for the fire to burn, and there will be more long-term consequences if the fire crosses the highway, according to fire officials.
As of 12:30 p.m. Friday, the rough boundaries of the mandatory evacuation zone included Signal Mountain and Spruce Mountain to the north, the Masonville Stone Quarry and Devil’s Backbone Open Space to the east, Carter Lake Reservoir and Indian Mountain to the south and the end of Hell Canyon Road to the west.
Mandatory evacuation orders were lifted Friday for residents off of Glade Road from U.S. 34 to County Road 38E, near the Riverview RV Park and north of Carter Lake, according to the evacuation map.
The three areas have not been given the “all clear,” but are now on voluntary evacuation status.
Voluntary evacuation orders also were lifted for residents in the area of Hidden Valley east of Devils Backbone Open Space and residents off of Ridge Parkway, according to the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Anyone with information about the cause and origin of the fire can call the Forest Service Law Enforcement Tip Line at 303-275-5266.
Stone Canyon fire near Lyons
- Access the latest evacuation map here
Last updated at 6 p.m.
The 1,553-acre Stone Canyon fire near Lyons in Boulder County was 53% contained Friday evening, said Nathan Hallam, the incident commander.
The containment allowed authorities to reopen some roads and neighborhoods that had been evacuated, said Vinny Montez, a Boulder County sheriff’s spokesman. Those areas are along the north end of Dakota Ridge Road.
The fire has killed one person, injured two firefighters and charred at least five homes, fire officials said.
County officials confirmed Thursday that human remains were found in a burned structure in the 2600 block of Eagle Ridge Road. The person will be identified by the Boulder County Coroner’s Office.
What started Tuesday afternoon as a small, 30-acre fire near Lyons quickly grew to more than 1,500 acres, forcing evacuations.
Rough boundaries of the mandatory evacuation zone Friday include Indian Mountain to the north; Dakota Ridge Road to the east; U.S. 36 in Lyons to the south; and Steamboat Mountain to the west.
Mandatory evacuations previously issued for Blue Mountain and the surrounding area were lifted Friday, except for residences on Moss Rock Drive and Moss Rock Court, sheriff’s officials said.
Bucktail fire near Nucla
Last updated at 11:46 a.m.
A new fire sparked Thursday afternoon in Montrose County, quickly growing from 164 acres to more than 2,000 acres.
As of Friday evening, the Bucktail fire burning on private land near Nucla and Uncompahgre National Forest had charred 2,046 acres, according to fire officials.
No progress had been made on containing the fire Friday, but no evacuations have been ordered, fire officials said.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
