Forensic experts in Boulder County are still working to identify a person whose remains were found in the rubble of the Stone Canyon fire, but the condition of the remains is posing a challenge for investigators.

The remains were discovered in the aftermath of the Stone Canyon fire, which ignited July 30 north of Lyons, before it burned more than 1,500 acres. Five homes were destroyed and one person was killed.

The fire caused extreme changes in the skeletal remains, including dehydration, fragmentation, color alteration and loss of material, that make extracting DNA more complicated, the Boulder County coroner’s office said in a news release Wednesday. 

DNA samples are often the only reliable method for identification in such cases, the coroner’s office said. 

“The integrity of the bones is significantly compromised after a fire, making it extremely difficult to obtain usable DNA,” Boulder County Coroner Jeff Martin said in the release. “In addition, locating a living family member for comparative DNA analysis can further complicate and delay the process. We are dedicated to overcoming these challenges and are utilizing every available resource to assist in this identification effort.” 

The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the body was found inside a burned property in the 2600 block of Eagle Ridge Road, but have released little additional information on the investigation. 

The investigation continues into what caused the fire. Federal investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were looking into the fire alongside Boulder County authorities. 

While the cause of the fire is still unknown, the ATF’s involvement indicates authorities believe it was human-caused. 

The wildfire was one of three along the Front Range that forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes in the foothills north and west of Denver during the last week of July. Firefighters from around the state and county raced to control the flames that quickly spread amid extremely dry and hot conditions in Colorado.

More vehicles are crossing a U.S. 50 bridge over Blue Mesa Reservoir and fewer closures are anticipated after Labor Day — a move that transportation officials hope will provide relief to traffic flows across a critical route that connects Montrose, Gunnison and Hinsdale counties.

Single-lane traffic in alternating directions is now allowed over Middle Bridge west of Gunnison for six hours a day, up from four, and after Labor Day, the bridge will open from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Colorado Department of Transportation officials said during a meeting Tuesday evening. 

School buses are also allowed to cross the bridge, which abruptly shut down April 18 after inspectors discovered a 3-inch-long crack along a steel beam. The first day of school for students at Gunnison Watershed School District is Aug. 26. 

“I still remember the kids trying to take the boat to school earlier this year,” Herman Stockinger, CDOT’s deputy director, said Tuesday. “It took creativity for the community to come together to make that happen and it made for a great story, but that’s just not sustainable for our school kids.” 

If repairs continue as scheduled, officials hope to open the bridge to all legal loads by mid-October.

“We think this updated plan does the best job of balancing immediate community needs with our shared goal of completing the structural repairs this year,” Stockinger said. 

The expanded schedule comes as crews continue to repair the bridge that connects the towns of Gunnison and Montrose. 

The repairs require 410 tons of steel, which include 1,400 individual steel plates and 55,000 individual bolts, said Jason Proskovec, a project director with Kiewit Construction, which CDOT brought in to handle and carry out the bridge repair work. 

Proskovec said the 410 tons of steel were procured from a mill in North Carolina, then was sent to six shops in Virginia, North Carolina, Arkansas, Texas and Colorado to be cut into shapes and drilled with holes, before it was sent to Gunnison.

The majority of the bolts came from a manufacturing company in Portland, Oregon, before they were tested in Ohio, Proskovec said. 

“So a pretty huge national, logistical effort to pull this off,” he said. 

Repairs are also underway on the Lake Fork Bridge, which is west of Middle Bridge. Lake Fork was built with the same high-strength steel that was welded on in the early 1960s using a technique that turned out to be faulty. 

Attention was drawn to both bridges after federal highway officials ordered mandatory inspections. CDOT identified five potentially problematic bridges across the state that used the problematic T-1 steel. Further inspection revealed that there were three that fit the federal criteria for further action — two bridges over Blue Mesa and one in Bent County (that bridge was deemed safe last year). 

After Labor Day, alternating traffic will be allowed across the Lake Fork Bridge between 6 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. At night, there will be more closures as crews conduct repairs, but traffic will still be allowed across, officials said. 

Vehicles of all legal weights are currently allowed across the Lake Fork Bridge.

During Tuesday’s meeting, one resident asked if CDOT could add porta-potties by the road, citing they have seen people go to the bathroom on the road as they wait in the line of traffic before crossing the Middle Bridge. Officials said they are addressing the issue. 

“I want to acknowledge again that this has been more than an inconvenience, it has been a major impact on people’s lives,” Gunnison County Commissioner Laura Puckett Daniels said. 

“We love that we are at the end of the road, we love that we are hard to access so that this place is special for us, but it has been an especially trying time,” Puckett Daniels said. “Gunnison County is open if you want to come visit, if you want to fish on Blue Mesa, it’s a really good time to be here, but you do have to jump through a few hurdles to make that happen.”

County Road 26 remains open as a detour outside of the scheduled openings across the U.S. 50 bridge and for heavier vehicles, including campers, trucks pulling trailers and semitrucks. 

For now, officials are not adjusting the times a piloted car will guide vehicles along the detour route, but are considering opening more times late at night, said Martin Schmidt, assistant county manager for public works for Gunnison County.

“Continually increasing access is what’s occurred throughout this project,” he said, “and we continue to push for that.” 

A Falcon woman convicted of breaching the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, during the riot to disrupt the results of the 2020 presidential election was sentenced Monday to one year of probation.

Rebecca Lavrenz, known as “J6 Praying Grandma” on social media, will also be required to pay a $103,000 fine and $500 in restitution, a spokesperson for the U.S. District Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., said. She was convicted of four misdemeanor counts for entering the Capitol and conducting disorderly conduct inside. 

In a Facebook post before the ruling, the 72-year-old great-grandmother, who operates a bed and breakfast northeast of Colorado Springs, offered no apologies for her crimes and said she felt the judge’s decision was in God’s hands.

“I am confident that his sentence will be what God, the Highest Judge, thinks is best to wake up our country,” Lavrenz wrote Monday morning. “Trusting and obeying God is my assignment for today.”

Lavrenz’s defense attorneys requested a one-year probation, no fine and no restitution, in court documents filed last week. They argued that she was a retired, first-time offender with “countless ties” to her community and commitments to her extended family.

Her attorneys said that Lavrenz’s conduct Jan. 6 was peaceful and nonviolent, that she caused no property damage and that she complied with the conditions of her release over the past two years after she was arrested in 2022, according to court documents. 

Federal prosecutors requested the judge order Lavrenz to serve 10 months in prison, followed by a year of supervised release and 60 hours of community service. The sentence was justified, prosecutors wrote in a letter to the judge filed last week, because Lavrenz has been “one of the loudest public voices calling the prosecution of January 6 riots a corrupt exercise.”

“Although Lavrenz certainly has a First Amendment right to publicly espouse her views, her unrepentant promotion of the riot is powerful evidence that she continues to pose a threat to future acts of political violence like that which engulfed the nation on January 6,” they continued. 

Prosecutors also asked the judge to impose a “substantial fine,” citing Lavrenz’s fundraising efforts after her trial. 

Lavrenz used her participation in the Jan. 6 riot and her convictions to raise more than $230,000 through online fundraising accounts and sought celebrity status based on her criminal conduct, prosecutors wrote. She also gave at least two dozen media interviews, where she continued her fundraising, questioned the fairness of her trial and showed no remorse for her criminal conduct. 

Her lawyers argued Lavrenz was not profiting from her crime and that all profits were going toward her legal defense, which have already exceeded six figures and her appeal will cost “additional tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars” over the next year, court documents said. 

Lavrenz was arrested Dec. 19, 2022, in Denver after tipsters alerted the FBI she was part of the crowd who breached the Capitol. She told federal authorities that she spent 10 minutes inside the Capitol, according to court documents. 

Investigators confirmed her account by reviewing surveillance footage that shows Lavrenz in a red scarf and white hat among the crowd of hundreds of rioters illegally entering and picketing inside the building. 

Investigators have determined that the Alexander Mountain fire, which has burned nearly 10,000 acres in northern Colorado and destroyed 51 structures, was human-caused. 

The fire was sparked July 29 west of Loveland in Larimer County. As of Friday, it had burned 9,669 acres and was 91% contained.

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

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 intentionally. 

Investigators are asking anyone with information about the start of the fire to call the Forest Service’s tip line at 303-275-5266. Photos, videos and typed statements can also be uploaded online. 

They are interested in information about anyone who was in the area immediately east and below the peak of Alexander Mountain, photos of the fire between 10:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. July 29 and information from anyone who spends time in the Alexander Mountain area.

Alexander Mountain was one of three Front Range wildfires that officials have determined were human-caused and ignited the last week of July, before rain brought much-needed relief to extremely dry conditions. 

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 earlier this week. 

On Saturday, officials from the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office and the Forest Service made their way to where they believed the fire started. Sheriff John Feyen said it was a “hard hike to get in there,” and that’s when they started their forensic investigation. They know the origin of the fire and that it was human-caused, but have not released further information on the investigation. 

Federal investigators are also looking into the Stone Canyon fire that destroyed five structures and is linked to one death in Boulder County. 

The cause of the fire is still unknown, but the involvement of the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, alongside Boulder County officials, indicates that authorities suspect it was human-caused.

The Quarry fire that prompted hundreds of residents to be evacuated as flames crept dangerously close to homes in Jefferson County is now 100% contained, officials said Wednesday, about a week after a sheriff’s deputy found a fire burning in an open space and it quickly escalated. 

Arson investigators are still looking into the human-caused fire, which grew to nearly 580 acres before firefighters had the perimeter fully under control, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said. 

The fire started around 9 p.m. July 30 in Deer Creek Canyon and when it was discovered it was burning on only about 100 square feet. But with dry fuels and low moisture, the fire grew to 100 acres within three hours. 

Officials say they know the origin of the fire and that it was human-caused, but have not released additional details on the investigation. 

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 the day after the fire started.

As of Tuesday morning, all evacuated residents were allowed to return to their homes.

Firefighters are making strides in containing the two wildfires still burning in the foothills as higher moisture levels and lower temperatures bring relief across the Front Range. 

Crews are focusing on smoldering interior areas of the Alexander Mountain fire near Loveland, but the fire isn’t expected to grow, fire managers said in a Tuesday morning update. The fire didn’t show any growth overnight and remains at 9,668 acres and is 83% contained, as of Tuesday afternoon. 

As evacuated residents start to return to their homes, officials urged them to be aware of the 536 firefighters and emergency personnel still in the area and to follow all forest and road closures. 

While rain brings much-needed moisture to the fire footprint, an increased chance of rain could bring flash flooding and debris flows to areas that are downhill and downstream from burned areas, the U.S. Forest Service warned. 

Light winds will increase across the fire area throughout the day and a light haze is expected until storms roll in. Nearby communities, including Eden Valley, along U.S. 34 to Idlewild and Drake, will see residual and overnight smoke, the forest service said.

Investigators continue to look into what caused both fires, but expect to give their final daily news conference on firefighting efforts at 4 p.m. 

In Jefferson County, the Quarry fire burning was estimated at 527 acres and 45% contained as of Tuesday morning.

As of 10 a.m., all evacuated residents were allowed to return home, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said. All residents must have credentials issued at the evacuation center at Dakota Ridge High School at 13399 W. Coal Mine Ave. 

Only residents with access cards will be allowed in the area for the next two days as firefighters work on final clean up, the sheriff’s office said. General access will be allowed starting Thursday. 

All communities that were issued mandatory evacuation orders will be placed under pre-evacuation status, the sheriff’s office said.

Nearly a dozen aircraft and dozens of firefighters are aggressively attacking a wildfire that sparked on private land in southwestern Colorado before rapidly spreading into thick forests on federal and national lands. 

The Bucktail fire grew to about 2,046 acres Friday after it was first reported about 11:20 a.m. Thursday in Nucla, in Montrose County, the U.S. Forest Service said. 

No structures have been damaged, officials said Friday, but the fire is showing “extreme fire behavior” and has a high potential for spreading. 

The Bucktail fire sparked as firefighting resources were already spread thin across the state. As of Friday, three other fires continued to burn in the foothills north and west of Denver. 

Five engines, including one from Telluride and another from the Nucla Naturita Fire Protection District, are on scene. Nine air tankers and two helicopters are attacking the fire from above and more hand crews are en route, the U.S. Forest Service said. 

Montrose County Road 25 is closed as emergency crews respond to the fire. The closure extends from the 25 Mesa/Divide Road intersection to where the pavement starts on 25 Mesa outside of Nucla. Fire officials are asking people to avoid the area. 

High temperatures and very dry weather are forecast for most of the state, prompting many counties to tighten fire restrictions and urge residents to be extremely cautious with any activity that could cause a spark that could easily and quickly spread. 

“Fire managers would like to remind forest users to continue to be attentive of their actions and surroundings, especially in areas with dry vegetation or dead/down trees,” the forest service said. 

The fire is burning in pinyon pine, juniper and oak brush. 

The cause of the Bucktail fire is under investigation.

This is a breaking news story that will be updated.

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

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

About 600 homes were evacuated in southwestern Jefferson County after a wildfire ignited Tuesday night in Deer Creek Canyon, a populated area in steep, rugged terrain.

The Quarry fire was estimated to be about 350 acres Wednesday evening.

A Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy discovered the fire in Deer Creek Canyon at about 9 p.m., 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.

Photos shared by the sheriff’s office showed tall, dry grass engulfed in flames along the road. Techmeyer said scrub oaks were flaring 30 to 50 feet up in the air.

He said another concern is rattlesnakes, as firefighters are working in an area known as Rattlesnake Gulch.

Techmeyer said no homes had burned and no one had been injured.

“We all know that we have two other major fires going on in our state, so resources are thin,” he said.

Techmeyer was alluding to the Alexander Mountain and Stone Canyon fires burning in northern Colorado.

About 75 firefighters are battling the Quarry fire from 12 fire departments. The sheriff’s office has requested airplanes and helicopters to help fight the fire, but it wasn’t clear if that request would be met. It also wasn’t clear if more firefighters would be able to join the fight.

Temperatures are expected to hit 98 degrees Wednesday, and “that does not help our cause,” Techmeyer said.

The fire is moving south, southeast, the sheriff’s office said.

Evacuations have been issued for five subdivisions: Deer Creek Mesa, Sampson, Maxwell, McKinney and Murphy. 

An evacuation center has been set up at Dakota Ridge High School. 

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.

Techmeyer 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.

The fire investigation hasn’t really started, Techmeyer said 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.

Colorado Sun editor David Krause contributed to this report.