Nearly three weeks after the Alexander Mountain fire started west of Loveland, U.S. Forest Service officials have declared the wildfire to be 100% contained.

The fire, which started July 29 and is being investigated as human-caused, was completely contained Saturday, the Forest Service said on social media. 

At the peak, 625 personnel were on scene fighting the fire, which destroyed 51 structures and burned 9,668 acres in Larimer County north of the Big Thompson Canyon. The U.S. Forest Service has been in command of the fire scene after the Southwest Incident Management Team 1 returned control Aug. 9 when the fire was at 91% containment.

The fire destroyed 26 homes and damaged at least four others, according to a report by the Larimer County Assessor’s Office. Twenty-one outbuildings were also destroyed.

Firefighters will continue to monitor the burn area, which is mostly on U.S. Forest Service land, as the Burned Area Emergency Response team continues to search for areas at risk of mudslides or flash flooding in the future.

“The Forest (Service) wants to recognize both the hard work as well as the stress and difficulty of the past three weeks,” acting Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests & Pawnee National Grassland Supervisor Jason Sieg said in a social post Saturday night. “There are members of the Cedar Park community who lost property and homes, and we will support them as best we can alongside our community partners and local agencies. We also want to thank the numerous agencies, partners, fire personnel and community members who stepped up to help in our joint coordination with Larimer County and Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control. This was a team effort.”

U.S. Forest Service wildland investigators are working with the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office to chase clues on who may have started the fire, even if it wasn’t intentional. They think the fire started between 10:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. July 29. Anyone with information about the start of the fire can call the Forest Service’s tip line at 303-275-5266. 

Alexander Mountain is one of three Front Range wildfires being investigated as human-caused and ignited in the last week of July. 

Arson investigators are still looking into the cause of the Quarry fire, which grew to nearly 580 acres in a highly-populated area of Jefferson County before firefighters got the perimeter fully under control Aug. 7. Federal investigators are also looking into the Stone Canyon fire that destroyed five structures and is linked to one death in Boulder County. It was fully contained Aug. 4 after burning 1,557 acres.

While it was a very productive weekend for crews working three wildfires along the Front Range, there is still much work to do to get full containment on the Alexander Mountain and Quarry fires, officials said.

The biggest news from the weekend was the Stone Canyon fire, which started Tuesday morning north of Lyons, was completely contained as of Sunday evening. The Lyons Fire Protection agency is now in charge and mopping up the interior of the fire as the investigation into the cause continues.

The Quarry fire, which started Tuesday night in Jefferson County and is being investigated as arson, is 45% contained as of Monday evening and minor growth with the completion of a controlled burn.

Much the same in Larimer County as hundreds of firefighters continue to work on the Alexander Mountain fire, which started Tuesday morning. That fire is 74% contained after burning nearly 10,000 acres, officials said during a rainy news conference Monday afternoon.

The Larimer County sheriff said Saturday that investigators from his office and the U.S. Forest Service reached the remote area that morning where they think the fire started, but did not give more information into a potential cause. That was reiterated Monday afternoon.

Catch up: Read live updates from Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Alexander Mountain fire

Focus on hot spots as containment climbs

With a jump to 74% containment Monday afternoon, officials said the number of personnel fighting the fire will decrease. At one point there were more than 600 firefighters working the fire.

“With the great success we’ll see our numbers drop,” Carl Schwope with the Southwest  Incident Command Team said Monday afternoon during a rainy news conference. “That’s a lot of folks doing a lot of good work.”

Crews are zeroing in on hot spots inside the burn scar, with the help of aerial surveillance using infrared technology. 

“We’re going in to make sure there’s no more heat in there. So it’s kind of search and destroy for any kind of heat,” said Jayson Coil with the Incident Command Team. “Last night on the infrared (flyover) we asked them to turn it up until they could see deer, then back it down a notch so we can pick up every one of those little spots, and then they went in after those spots today.” 

There are still 929 homes inside the mandatory evacuation area, but that is expected to drop in the next few days.

— 4:25 p.m. Monday

More than 600 personnel remain on fire

The goal Monday for the 625 personnel working the fire west of Loveland is to continue to protect homes in the Cedar Park area and locate any remaining “hot pockets of fuel,” per the Monday morning update.

“As more containment is achieved, crews will turn their focus to locating areas holding heat in the interior of the fire and patrolling containment lines,” officials said Monday.

The fire has not grown in size the past few days as firefighters secured lines along Highway 34 in the Big Thompson Canyon and on the eastern edge.

—10:21 a.m. Monday

Quarry fire

Containment nears halfway mark

As firefighters continue to work on the interior of the wildfire and securing fire lines, officials said Monday evening the fire was 45% contained and had burned 527 acres.

That added acreage was in part due to about a 50-acre controlled burn, which has been ongoing the past few days, on the west side of the fire. 

— 5:30 p.m. Monday

Progress with controlled burn

Firefighters are nearly finished with a controlled burn on the west side that crews started over the weekend. That work will help with containment and means more evacuations could be lifted soon, said Jefferson County spokeswoman Karlyn Tilley. 

“The controlled burn we are doing right now is going absolutely great,” she said during a news conference Monday afternoon. “The weather is cooperating. Overnight it was absolutely wonderful. We were able to get so much of that extra fuel burned out, and we only had about 50 acres left this morning to burn. Once that is done we’ll have a much better chance of getting all of our residents back in their homes.” 

She said the rain overnight gave firefighters some relief but it did not do much to dampen the fire. More rain is in the forecast Monday night.

“If we get some good rains tonight, we’ll be even closer. … We’re hoping for a more substantial rain tonight,” Tilley said.

The fire remains at 472 acres burned and 35% contained, but those numbers are likely to increase after a flyover this afternoon, she said. There is no timeline on when evacuations will be lifted.

— 2:50 p.m. Monday

Drones continue to be problem

The plan Monday is for “increased burn operations today utilizing helicopters,” according to a morning update. Firefighters and local officials said they continue to have problems with drones and small fixed-wing planes over the area, which can cause air operations to stop for safety reasons. There has been a temporary flight restriction in the area since the fire started July 30, and investigators are looking into pilots breaching that order.

The investigation continues into the cause of the fire, and it is being investigated as arson, either started intentionally or unintentionally.

A news conference is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Monday for the latest updates.

—10:26 a.m. Monday

Stone Canyon fire

All clear for residents to go home

All evacuations and road closures were lifted Sunday evening when the fire was considered 100% contained. The Lyons Fire Protection District now controls the operations and will be doing mop-up operations Monday, the agency said in an update Monday morning.

“There may still be smoke within the burn area as crews work to mop up any hot spots. Please only call 911 if flames are visible, or if smoke is coming from outside the burn area,” the districted posted on Facebook.

The cause of the fire, which started Tuesday morning, remains under investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is one of the agencies helping with the investigation. 

—10:42 a.m. Monday

There is a cat in Jefferson County with eight lives left. And don’t be surprised if you see it show up on T-shirts as the symbol of resilience for those displaced by the Quarry fire.

Fire crews on Friday found a cat covered in red slurry inside the burn scar. Other than needing a bath, the cat is fine, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Mark Techmeyer said Saturday afternoon. 

“You have a cat that’s been out there for four or five days and was close enough to the fire to get hit by retardant,” he said. “I can’t imagine how scared it was trying to find its way.

“But that cat to me is the symbol of what we’ve been through here. That is survival, tenacity, and hanging in there and fighting.”

After being checked out at a local animal clinic the feline was reunited with its owners. Techmeyer didn’t know the cat’s name.

“If it doesn’t have a name, I hope they go with Slurry,” he said.

Jefferson County officials said Friday morning that they have launched an arson investigation into the Quarry fire burning southwest of Denver because they believe it was human caused.

“The reason it’s an arson investigation is that we preliminarily believe that this fire is human-caused in some manner,” said Kevin Bost, criminal investigations division chief for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.

The fire, which has burned about 431 acres in Deer Creek Canyon as of Friday morning, was discovered at about 9 p.m. Tuesday by a Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy. It was only about 100 square feet and in open space, but the flames quickly spread.

Bost said investigators know the fire’s point of origin, but officials would not answer questions about whether they have identified a suspect because “it is an active investigation.”

Bost said the fire started in a switchback area above Grizzly Drive.

The Meadowlark Trail, a hiking path in Deer Creek Canyon Park, is in that area and it has switchbacks just above Grizzly Drive.

Investigators are using “every resource possible,” including the state’s K9 fire investigator, said Jefferson County Sheriff’s spokesperson Karlyn Tilley. Those who might have any information, including home camera video about the time the fire started, are asked to call the county’s tip line at 303-271-5612.

The fire did not grow much overnight Thursday into Friday. It has come within about a quarter-mile of homes, but so far no structures have been destroyed.

About 600 homes have been evacuated because of the fire.

Jefferson County authorities have hinted for days that they believed the origin of the Quarry fire was suspicious.

Anytime you see a fire like that start at 9 p.m., “it makes you scratch your head a little bit,” Mark Techmeyer, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office, said Wednesday.

Separately, fire investigators in Larimer County are asking the public for any photos, video or information from Monday morning in the area where the Alexander Mountain fire started west of Loveland.

The fire has burned more than 9,100 acres, as of Friday morning. Anyone who might have information is being asked to call the Forest Service Law Enforcement tip line at 303-275-5266.

Officials working the Stone Canyon fire near Lyons have said the cause of that fire remains unknown. One person died in that blaze.

The Lake Shore fire, which burned a home near Gross Reservoir on Wednesday, was likely accidentally started by people working on a property in the area, Boulder County authorities said.

Hot, dry weather has left much of Colorado susceptible to new fires.

This is a developing story that will be updated.

Colorado Sun staff writer Jesse Paul contributed to this report.

Firefighters were helped overnight with light winds and higher humidity over the three major fires burning along the Front Range.

Crews were also able to gain some containment on the two larger fires, the Alexander Mountain fire, which started Monday morning in Larimer County, and the Stone Canyon fire, which started Tuesday afternoon in Boulder County. 

Winds overnight in those areas stayed below 10 mph and humidity was 40% to 60%. However, record high temperatures are expected Friday and into early next week, with near triple-digit temperatures Sunday.

Crews fighting the Quarry fire in Jefferson County, also had better weather overnight. The fire is smaller than the two to the north but closer to highly populated neighborhoods. 

A Jefferson County spokesman said Friday morning the humidity overnight was 59%, which was very beneficial. However, they are concerned about winds and lightning Friday because of dry storms in the forecast.

A number of counties are increasing their fire restrictions to either stage 1 or stage 2. As well, fires are banned inside Rocky Mountain National Park. 

With numerous campers headed to the mountains to escape the heat along the Front Range, officials are asking that people check ahead of time to get the updated restrictions in the areas they are going to recreate.

Smoke from the fires along the Front Range and out of state fires, along with hot and sunny weather, will create poor air quality that could be unhealthy, especially for those with respiratory illnesses, older adults and children, state officials said in an alert issued for Friday. 

Catch up: Read live updates from Wednesday and Thursday

Alexander Mountain fire

Current size: 9,375 acres
Location: West of Loveland in Larimer County
Containment: 5%
Cause: Unknown
Impact: 3,200 people evacuated; at least two dozen structures damaged or destroyed; no injuries

Crews work to secure line along Highway 34

During a news conference Friday afternoon, the Larimer County sheriff said damage assessment teams were in the burn area earlier in the day and confirmed 30 structures were damaged or destroyed. Those who lost structures will be notified today.

Crews continue to work on ensuring the fire does not jump Highway 34 to the south and over the Big Thompson River. Crews are focused on that edge of the fire and said the threat of the fire crossing the highway is “still very realistic.” There are 389 personnel now working the fire.

The eastern perimeter of the fire  is holding, and some evacuations will be lifted in that area.

— 4:30 p.m. Friday

Several post offices temporarily closed

Several post offices have been temporarily closed due to firefighting efforts for the Alexander Mountain fire, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office said. The U.S. Postal Service has posted details on how and where residents may pick up their mail, specifically for those who use the Glen Haven Masonville and Drake post offices. 

More information can be found online.

— 1:39 p.m. Friday

Voluntary evacuations lifted for Hidden Valley, Ridge Parkway

Voluntary evacuations were lifted Friday for residents living in the Hidden Valley area east of Devil’s Backbone Open Space and people living off Ridge Parkway, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office said. 

Mandatory evacuation orders were also changed to voluntary for residents off Glade Road, from Highway 34 up to W County Road 38E, residents near Riverview RV Park, and residents north of Carter Lake in the area of County Road 18E from County Road 31 to County Road 29.

All evacuation orders can be viewed at nocoalert.org. 

— 12:29 p.m. Friday

Fire expands to more than 9,000 acres

In an update early Friday morning, officials said the fire had increased to more than 9,000 acres and containment remained at 5%. More than 325 personnel are working on the fire.

“We’re aware of potential for incoming thunderstorms, which could cause wind shifts,” according to the update. “Firefighters will be focusing on maintaining lines, managing their safety and the safety of the community.”

The National Weather Service forecast for the Loveland area includes a 30% chance of rain, mainly after 2 p.m., with a high near 99 and calm winds.

— 6:42 a.m. Friday

Gaining a bit of containment

Late Thursday night officials announced there was 5% containment on the state’s largest wildfire, which started Monday morning.

Damage assessment teams are expected to tour some of the burn scar to determine how many and what types of buildings have been damaged or destroyed. Thursday afternoon the Larimer County sheriff said at least two dozen buildings were affected by the fire. No injuries have been reported.

—5:53 a.m. Friday

Stone Canyon fire

Air resources diverted; crews watch incoming storms

Firefighters are keeping a close eye on incoming thunderstorms, which could bring winds to the area, Boulder County Office of Disaster Management said.

No air resources are assigned to the Stone Canyon fire Friday because they were diverted to other fires that are actively growing, officials said. 

Xcel Energy will be restoring gas at some homes in the Stone Canyon neighborhood Friday, but residents must be home in order for company crews to turn it back on. 

Officials are urging the public to avoid the fire retardant dropped on the Stone Canyon and Lake Shore fires. The red slurry contains ammonia and can burn if it gets inside cuts or scratches or gets in contact with sunburned or cracked skin.

If you or a pet comes in contact with the retardant, wash thoroughly with water and soft soap, as fire chemicals dry out the skin, officials said. After washing, use a hand cream to minimize dryness and cracking. 

— 11:20 a.m. Friday

No major growth overnight

The fire did not grow Thursday night and remains 30% contained and just over 1,550 acres, officials said in a Friday morning update.

With the other fires that have “active growth,” officials said they are not expecting any air support Friday on the fire burning north of Lyons. Officials said two firefighters were injured but did not say the extent of those injuries.— 9:35 a.m. Friday

Lines drawn on east and southeast

Containment has improved to 30% and many residents in the area started going home Thursday after some of the mandatory evacuation were lifted. 

As the fire slowly moves to the northeast, containment lines have been established along the east and southeast corner, which is near the town of Lyons.

—5:56 a.m. Friday

Quarry fire

Containment line beefed up

The fire grew by about 50 acres Friday and is now at 480 acres and 10% contained. Crews are “very aggressively” digging hand lines that have connected to fire breaks cleared by bulldozers, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Karlyn Tilley said Friday afternoon during a news conference. That, combined with continued air support, has increased the containment and kept the fire from spreading.

No structures have been damaged, but two firefighters sprained their ankles while working on the steep terrain.

Investigators are bringing in the state’s K9 fire investigator as they look for what started the fire, which was human caused, Tilley said.

— 5:15 p.m. Friday

Fire contained at 4%

The Quarry fire is now 4% contained, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said Friday. The fire is estimated at 431 acres, which is lower than previous estimates due to more detailed mapping from the state’s multi-mission aircraft.

— 11:47 a.m. Friday

“Great progress” made with fire lines

Jefferson County spokesman Mark Techmeyer said Friday morning that a second Hotshot crew would be arriving to help with work on the ground in the rugged terrain. Today, a total of 185 personnel will be working the fire, including two Hotshot crews, who are trained to fight fires in very difficult terrain.

Three helicopters will continue to drop water from Chatfield Reservoir, but slurry planes won’t be on the fire as they have done the the work needed to surround the fire and protect homes, Techmeyer said.While the fire has zero containment, he said crews have increased fire lines on the ground, including securing Deer Creek Canyon Road, and bulldozers made “great progress” on the southwest side. The additional 100 acres that burned Thursday were in open space and away from homes.

— 7:58 a.m. Friday

Arson investigation underway

Officials said Friday morning there an active arson investigation is underway because they know the fire is human caused. On Tuesday night, a Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy came upon a fire burning in open space and it quickly escalated. 

They know the point of origin, but officials would not answer any questions about a possible suspect because “it is an active investigation.”

— 7:45 a.m. Friday

Flames close but no damage

During a news conference Thursday afternoon, the Jefferson County spokesperson said no structure had been damaged but the flames were within a quarter-mile of some areas. The fire burning west of Denver is in a highly populated area and officials are trying to keep it from jumping of Deer Creek Canyon Road.

—6:01 a.m. Friday

At least two dozen structures have been damaged or destroyed in the Alexander Mountain fire, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday afternoon. 

The buildings are along Palisade Mountain Drive and Snow Top Drive. The structures are believed to be a combination of homes and outbuildings, the sheriff’s office said.

Tim Keeton, captain with Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, said they don’t know the exact number or types of structures yet.

“We are going to, with support of firefighters, put damage assessment teams in hopefully tomorrow morning, if fire behavior allows, and get more specifics on homeowners and exact addresses so we can start notifying residents of what the circumstances are,” Keeton said during an afternoon news conference.

He noted that the county had problems contacting owners of burned properties after previous fires, so asked people who live along those streets to call 970-980-2800 to provide their addresses and current contact information.

Evacuations that have been in place for the last few days remain, Keeton said.

“These things are always difficult and undoubtedly very inconvenient for everybody involved, but especially those who have been evacuated,” he said. “Unfortunately we have had a lot of exposure to this the last few years, so it’s not our first time experiencing this for most of us. But thank you for being willing, prepared and acknowledging that we are always going to prioritize life safety over inconvenience.”

The fire, which started Monday west of Loveland and near the mouth of the Big Thompson Canyon, has burned 8,089 acres and is back to 0% contained because the fire has grown.

Southwest Incident Management Team Operations Section Chief Jayson Coil said crews are making good progress slowing the fire’s spread and protecting structures, particularly near Masonville on the eastern edge. He also said crews are closely monitoring the fire through Big Thompson Canyon where an above-ground optical fiber line providing 911 service to Estes Park runs along the ground. Along the northern edge, the fire is nearing the Cameron Peak burn scar.

“Getting the notification that your home or property has been damaged is never easy. We will grieve alongside our neighbors through this difficult process, and our team will be here for you in the difficult days and months ahead,” Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen said in a news release. “The hundreds of people assigned to this fire will continue working around the clock to keep our community safe.”

Fire crews worked through the night to try to get containment on three of the wildfires burning along the Front Range.

Wednesday night, officials working the Stone Canyon fire north of Lyons said they were able to get 20% containment on the fire, which started Tuesday, and some residents in Lyons were allowed to return to their homes.

While ground crews worked the fire lines overnight, air support is expected to resume Thursday morning as officials continue to share resources.

The Alexander Mountain fire is the largest wildfire in the state and late Wednesday night officials announced they had 1% containment. That is on the east side as they continue to protect the Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch. 

On Wednesday, Gov. Jared Polis said he has activated the Colorado National Guard to help with logistics in fighting the wildfires. Soldiers won’t be fighting the fires but will help with backup support, including traffic control and other needs. Polis also said FEMA will help pay for the costs to fight the fires, and will cover 75% of the costs.

The National Weather Service in Denver said there will be a slight chance of afternoon storms mainly over Park County and the Palmer Divide, but “elevated fire conditions will continue over higher terrain.” Those conditions include above normal temperatures, forecast in the high 90s, and low humidity.

Warm and stagnant weather combined with smoke from local and out-of-state fires will bring unhealthy air quality that could be harmful for people with respiratory illnesses, children and older adults, state health officials warned in an advisory Thursday morning. 

The warning is for Douglas County north to Larimer and Weld counties, including the Denver-Boulder area, Greeley and Fort Collins and remains in effect until 4 p.m. 

Catch up: Read live updates from Wednesday

Alexander Mountain fire

Current size: 8,134 acres
Location: West of Loveland in Larimer County
Containment: 5%
Cause: Unknown
Impact: 3,200 people evacuated; at least two dozen structures damaged or destroyed; no injuries

Starting to get containment

With more than 325 personnel working on the fire, officials said Thursday evening the fire was 5% contained and most of the fire activity occurred “primarily on the interior of the fire.” That burning cause a noticeable smoke plume in the afternoon.

Weather is forecast to remain hot and dry through Monday with a high pressure system stationed over the Rockies.

— 7:45 p.m. Thursday

Fiber-optic line draws concern

During a news conference Thursday afternoon, Southwest Incident Management Team Operations Section Chief Jayson Coil said crews are making good progress slowing the fire’s spread and protecting structures, particularly near Masonville on the eastern edge. 

One big concern, he said, is an above-ground fiber optic line that runs through Big Thompson Canyon and provides 911 service to Estes Park. Crews are stationed along Highway 34 to protect the line and keep the fire from jumping the highway and moving to the south where the timber is more dense.

Along the northern edge, the fire is nearing the Cameron Peak burn scar, which he said is good news and should slow the fire in that section.

The fire went from 1% to 0% contained because as the fire grew the percentage of containment dropped.

— 5 p.m. Thursday

More than 20 structures damaged, destroyed

At least two dozen structures have burned in the fire, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday afternoon. The structures are believed to be a combination of homes and outbuildings.

“Getting the notification that your home or property has been damaged is never easy. We will grieve alongside our neighbors through this difficult process, and our team will be here for you in the difficult days and months ahead,” Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen said in a news release.

— 3:20 p.m. Thursday

Updates on plans for fighting blaze 

Hotshot crews are prioritizing protecting homes in the Masonville subdivision on the fire’s east side and Cedar Park subdivision on the west, by creating natural fire barriers, said Jayson Coil, the operations section chief with the Southwest Area Incident Management Team.

Crews will work until they reach the Cameron Peak fire scar, Coil said, saying that the fire is not expected to travel north beyond the fire’s scar. 

Firefighters will also work to protect homes along U.S. 34 and try to make sure the fire doesn’t jump south of the highway, where there are a lot more trees, he said. 

— 12:20 p.m. Thursday

New team takes command of operations

As of 6 a.m., the Southwest Area Incident Management Team 1 has assumed command of the fire. The team, based out of Albuquerque, was last in Colorado in July 2002 to help with the Big Elk fire, which burned 4,800 acres south of Estes Park. (Three pilots were killed fighting that fire.) 

Currently there are 450 personnel fighting the Alexander Mountain fire, which started Monday. The cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation.

The incident team has set up a new Facebook page for updates on the fire. 

— 9:05 a.m. Thursday

Thursday morning’s update

Firefighters have made minor headway and have been able to get its first bit of containment and have secured the perimeter next to the Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch, which is on the east side of the blaze near where it started. Crews continue to keep the flames from jumping over Highway 34, which remains closed.

Hotshot firefighting crews and other resources are expected to arrive Thursday to fight the fire, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office said. 

Smoke was a big issue for aerial crews Wednesday and “there were times when aviation assets could not be utilized,” officials said late Wednesday night. 

— 5:40 a.m. Thursday

Stone Canyon fire

Current size: 1,553 acres
Location: Stone Mountain outside Lyons in Boulder County
Containment: 20%
Cause: Unknown
Impact: One fatality; five structures have been destroyed

Power returning to Stone Canyon Drive neighborhood 

Power should return to homes in the Stone Canyon Drive neighborhood Thursday afternoon. Xcel Energy will be in the neighborhood Friday morning starting at 8 a.m. to relight gas pilots. Someone must be home for this to happen. If not possible, contact Xcel for alternative methods. 

Large dumpsters are being placed in each neighborhood to deposit spoiled food and perishable items. Disaster management office asks that food waste not be placed on roads or sidewalks.

— 4:45 p.m. Thursday

Some evacuations lifted and roads opened

Some areas of the evacuation have been marked “all clear;” they are indicated in green on this map. Blue Mountain Road is now open north of Highway 36 into Larimer County at County Road 37E and Lone Star Road. 

The Steamboat Valley and Stone Canyon neighborhoods have been marked all clear. The Steamboat Valley Road closure has moved north to Lewis Lane Trail. Stone Canyon Drive is open to Eagle Ridge Road to residents only. And Nolan Road is open to Eagle Ridge Road — again, residents only. 

The fire is experiencing little growth. A large evacuation area remains in place.

— 3:35 p.m. Thursday

Fire restrictions upgraded; “extreme caution” urged

The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office has enacted stage 2 fire restrictions and is asking all residents and visitors to use extreme caution with anything that could potentially start a spark or flame. Larimer County, where the Alexander Mountain fire is burning, also has enacted stage 2 restrictions.

Stage 2 fire restrictions prohibit:

• Building, maintaining or using an open fire, campfire or stove fire on private and public lands, including charcoal grills and barbecues. This ban is also in effect in developed camping and picnic areas. 
• Firework sales, use and possession, including fireworks that are otherwise legal
• Shooting or discharge of firearms for recreational use
• Smoking, unless in an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreational site or while stopped in an area at least 10 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials
• Opening a chainsaw without a USDA or SAE approved spark arrester that is properly installed and in good working order
• Using an explosive to do any kind of blasting work
• Welding or using a torch with an open flame outdoors
• Using a vehicle off established roads, motorized trails or established parking areas, except when parking in an area that does not have vegetation within 10 feet of the vehicle 

— 11:05 a.m. Thursday

Minimal growth overnight; air support diverted

There was little growth overnight and the fire remains at about 1,548 acres, Boulder County officials said Thursday morning. 

The fire, which started Tuesday morning, will likely get less air support as aircraft are reassigned to other fires that are still growing, the county said. Crews will continue to work on the ground to secure the fire perimeter and assess damage by the fire. 

Forecasted high temperatures and low relative humidity levels will provide little relief to the fire.

—9:20 a.m. Thursday

Thursday morning’s update

Officials said Wednesday night they had 20% containment on the fire, which has slowed but is moving to the northeast. Ground crews were working the fire lines overnight, and air support is expected to resume Thursday morning.

— 5:45 a.m. Thursday

Quarry fire

Current size: 450 acres
Location: Deer Creek Canyon in Jefferson County
Containment: 0%
Cause: Unknown
Impact: 600 homes evacuated; no injuries or burned homes

Growth, but on open space land

Officials say the fire grew by around 100 acres Thursday, but on open space land. Overall, it was less active than previous days and responders made progress.

They are anticipating cooperative weather overnight into Friday and continued helicopter support. A hand crew will join the 155 firefighters currently on the ground. 

— 6 p.m. Thursday

Flames within quarter-mile of homes

Three helicopters and two planes continue to drop water and retardant on the fire Thursday.

“We are fortunate to have those. The other fires going on, air resources are crucial to all of us,” Mark Techmeyer, a spokesperson for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said during a 2 p.m. news conference. “When we put in a request last night, we put it in with crossed fingers.” 

Additional resources would be “fabulous to have,” but crews are working with what they have, calling the fire a “hard fight,” Stacy Martin, assistant chief of Evergreen Fire Protection District.

Officials couldn’t provide an estimate as to how long before evacuated residents could return home.

“This terrain isn’t like something I have seen in my career in 15 years,” he said. “It’s hard. This thing could go on for days, a week, two weeks, we just don’t know.”

While the Quarry fire isn’t the largest burning in the foothills, Techmeyer said the amount of homes at risk and challenging terrain places the fire as a high priority to get under control.

No structures have been lost in the fire, but Techmeyer said flames are within a quarter-mile of some homes.

“You look at the incredibly difficult terrain it is for firefighters, and you look at the density of home that are up there and you look at assets that really can’t afford to be lost like the watershed that puts out water down to 2,800,000 people down toward Denver that could be affected by this fire if it got out of control; Lockheed Martin right behind us,” he said. 

“Those are things that have to be protected, not to mention the homes of people that live there.” 

— 2:32 p.m. Thursday

West Ranch subdivision residents told to be ready to leave

People living in the West Ranch neighborhood in central Jefferson County should be alert and ready to leave, Inter-Canyon Fire Protection District said in a post on Facebook about 12:45 p.m. West Ranch is a 1,250-acre gated community with 52 homes.

An evacuation center has been created at Dakota Ridge High School at 13399 West Coal Mine Ave. Anyone who needs help should call 911.

— 1:50 p.m. Thursday

Update on fire resources

There are three helicopters, two aircraft, 155 firefighters and 23 fire rigs on scene fighting the Quarry fire, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said.

— 1 p.m. Thursday

Firefighter morale remains high 

“The volunteers, they’re pros, this is what they do and they know what they are signing up for,” Mark Techmeyer, a spokesperson for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday. “Their morale is: Let’s go to war, let’s fix this thing, let’s put this fire out, let’s take care of these people’s homes.” 

The cause of the fire, which started Tuesday evening, remains under investigation.

“Everyone should be worried right now, there’s a huge fire that is difficult to fight. … This is not easy folks, this is a tough fire,” Techmeyer said, adding that the fire is about a quarter-mile from West Sampson Road. Techmeyer said he expects firefighting efforts to extend into the weekend.

“We’re going to be on this for a while.” 

County officials discouraged donations of food and other items because there is no space to put them. More information on ways to support affected residents can be found online.

— 8:35 a.m. Thursday

No growth overnight

Low winds and higher humidity helped firefighters and the fire did not grow overnight, Mark Techmeyer, a spokesman for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, said Thursday morning. 

“We had a great night last night. The fire behaved, it laid down and did not grow overnight,” he said.

“This fire cannot jump over to the north side of Deer Creek Canyon Road. We have a whole other situation on our hands if that happens,” he said. “If we lose control of this fire and it jumps over to the north side, that would be our nightmare.” 

— 8:10 a.m. Thursday

Hotshots arrive to help; 5 firefighters injured but OK

The San Juan Hotshots, a group of 20 firefighters from Colorado, arrived Wednesday night and will help to attack the fire from the ground, Mark Techmeyer said. 

“They are boots on the ground in tough terrain and take care of tough situations,” he said, adding, “Let’s be real, this fire will not be won in the air. We have to have the Hotshots.”

As temperatures crept near 100 degrees, five firefighters assigned to the fire were injured, Techmeyer said. Four suffered from heat exhaustion and one had a seizure. None were hospitalized and all are in good condition Thursday, he said.

— 8 a.m. Thursday

Thursday morning’s update

Infrared imaging estimated the fire to be at 341 acres, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.

The fire is burning in a highly dense population area, and more pre-evacuation warnings were issued Wednesday night, putting the  Homestead South and Oehlmann Park neighborhoods on notice.

More than a dozen fire agencies responded to the fire Wednesday, including 17 firefighters with five engines from West Metro fire department who worked along the road digging fire lines and cutting down brush and other fuels to help strengthen natural barriers to stop the fire.

— 5:50 a.m. Thursday

Find the latest on this fire | Live updates: 3 wildfires burning in the foothills north and west of Denver

A second wildfire in northern Colorado fueled by high winds and low humidity ignited Tuesday in the foothills north of Lyons and forced evacuations in the Boulder County town.

Crews fighting the first fire west of Loveland were quick to help, the Boulder County sheriff said Tuesday afternoon. 

The Stone Canyon fire was burning about 1,320 acres as of 9 p.m. Tuesday and evacuations were growing, including parts of the town of Lyons. At least two structures have burned.

Air resources from the Alexander Mountain fire burning to the north in Larimer County were quickly diverted Tuesday to help after the Stone Canyon fire started around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, 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 west of Loveland. 

“Our friends from Larimer County came down to help us. We were in Larimer County yesterday helping them evacuate neighborhoods. As that fire stabilized a little bit they were able to send help to us. We worked really closely together and communicated well so we were able to get some Larimer County folks down here to help us evacuate the neighborhoods being directly impacted by the fire.”

A cause has not been released.

Officials are continuing to evacuate homes to the north and east of the fire, which is approaching the Larimer County line just outside of Lyons, as well as in Lyons. The sheriff said the fire has jumped some roads. The area between Lyons and Masonville, which is west of Loveland, has mandatory evacuations.

Preliminary reports say two structures have burned, according to a 6:15 p.m. update. Video footage shot by a Denver TV news helicopter shows at least one structure and cars on fire.

 “Our focus right now is trying to slow the fire down, protect other structures and make sure people are safe,” Johnson said. 

He said the weather is not going to change and conditions are about as bad as they can be to fight this fire, he said. 

“It’s going to take us days to really manage it,” he said. “The fire has been jumping around a little bit.” 

Tuesday evening, parts of the town of Lyons were under evacuation orders, including areas north of Broadway and east of 5th Avenue. Also, residents in the areas of Eagle Ridge, Blue Mountain and Spring Valley are under orders to leave home. Evacuations were also ordered for parts of southern Larimer County.

Updates about evacuation orders are available at BoulderODM.gov.

The state’s multimission aircraft left the Alexander Mountain fire and was diverted to the Stone Canyon fire, Tracy LeClair, a spokesperson with the state fire division said. A Tanker 10, which can drop 9,400 gallons of fire retardant within 8 seconds, and single-engine air tankers were also en route. 

Fire trucks and wildland vehicles are on scene and more resources are on the way, officials said. 

A resource center has opened at the Boulder County Fairgrounds. The fairgrounds is at capacity for animals, and they can now be taken to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Golden, Boulder County officials said at 5:45 p.m.

The following roads were closed:

• U.S. 36 is closed at the entrance of Lyons
• All roads north of the intersection of Blue Mountain Road and U.S. 36, including connecting roads
• All roads north of Steamboat Valley Road and the 5th Avenue intersection
• All roads north of Ute Highway, aka Colorado 66, and the intersections of North 53rd Street and North 55th Street 

Officials issued a red flag warning for Boulder County on Tuesday for winds forecast between 15 mph to 20 mph and gusts up to 30 mph. Extremely dry conditions, with relative humidity forecast at 11%, also created critical fire danger, meteorologists warned. 

“There’s no time for burning, let’s just be honest, no burning at all today,” Vinnie Montez, a spokesperson with the sheriff’s office, said in a video posted on social media. “It’s really important, we have an active fire and a lot of the resources are up in Larimer County right now so just make sure you are paying attention to your surroundings.” 

The Alexander Mountain fire started Monday morning west of Loveland and by Tuesday afternoon was more than 3,500 acres, prompting multiple evacuation orders.

Temperatures along the northern Front Range are near 100 degrees Tuesday, winds are gusting over 25 mph and the humidity is below 10%.

Crews made major headway on the Interlaken fire burning near Twin Lakes in Lake County, and have the blaze 86% contained, officials said Sunday evening.

The fire, which started Tuesday because of an improperly extinguished campfire just off the Interlaken trail, has burned 731 acres, officials said in their Sunday night update. The burn area grew by another 100-plus acres through the day Sunday but containment went from 45% to 86%.

“This larger number is due in part to more accurate mapping from our most recent … flight, and to increased acreage on the north edge of the fire where it continues to slowly back down toward the trail near the lake,” fire officials said in their update.

There are 256 personnel, five helicopters and a fixed-wing aircraft working the fire. 

Crews were able to take advantage of cooler weather Friday to start making progress on containing the fire, which is burning southwest of Leadville. By Saturday night they had the fire 45% contained, up from 15% in the morning. 

During a community meeting Saturday in Leadville, officials said the wet conditions and a prescribed burn from six years ago have helped keep the Interlaken fire from growing more.

Chris Naccarato, who is the U.S. Forest Service fire management officer for the mountain zone fire district based out of Salida and Leadville, said firefighters are “pretty lucky that this fire started when it did, because we’re in moderate fire danger conditions.”

“This fire has been burning since Tuesday and we’re still under 600 acres, and that’s pretty cool,” he said Saturday. “I venture to say that if this fire had started in the end of July or August, we might be looking at a 60,000-acre fire. Again, I know it doesn’t feel like it, but it’s because of that moderate fire conditions that things are really … the fire activity isn’t what it could be if we were a lot hotter and drier.”  

The Flume Creek prescribed burn from 2018 also has stopped the spread to the east of the Interlaken fire, officials said. That burn covered about 120 acres. 

The Interlaken fire started near the Interlaken historic district, but no structures have burned. Firefighters have been camped out at the historic site to protect the buildings, officials said during Saturday’s community meeting.

Sheriff’s offices in Lake and Chaffee counties also have canceled all pre-evacuation notices sent out earlier this week, they said Saturday evening.

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 7:42 p.m. Sunday to include the most recent fire information on size and containment.

An abandoned campfire likely ignited the Interlaken fire burning hundreds of acres south of Twin Lakes in Lake County, according to a U.S. Forest Service investigator.

In an update Wednesday night, the Forest Service said an investigator located a campfire ring left 60 yards from the Interlaken trail and 1.5 miles from the trailhead where the fire likely started Tuesday. 

“This campfire was not properly extinguished and continued to burn. It is believed that the campfire was abandoned several days prior to its report on June 11,” the Forest Service said in a social media post. 

Officials do not have any leads on who might have started the fire. They are asking anyone who may have information about campers who built a fire near the Interlaken resort between Friday and Tuesday to call a tip line at 303-275-5266.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the fire 12 miles south of Leadville had burned about 443 acres in 24 hours with zero containment.

Pre-evacuations have extended into northern Chaffee County.

There are 135 fire personnel on scene along with four helicopters and a fixed-wing aircraft, according to the USFS.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation order to the Interlaken historic district, which is home to a once popular, now-abandoned mountain hotel, and all of County Road 25 on the south side of Twin Lakes.

A pre-evacuation order was issued “until further notice” for Lost Canyon, as well as Balltown, a small residential area on the east side of Twin Lakes and County Road 30. 

On Wednesday, the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office issued a pre-evacuation warning for residents and those recreating between Clear Creek Reservoir to the Chaffee County-Lake County line.