DENVER — Colorado fire crews are fighting four separate wildfires—the Alexander Mountain Fire, the Stone Canyon Fire, the Quarry Fire, and the Lake Shore Fire—in Larimer, Boulder, and Jefferson counties this week. At least one person has died, thousands have been forced from their homes, and multiple structures have been destroyed.
Here's the latest on the four wildfires that have charred more than 8,000 acres amid hot and dry conditions. This information will be continuously updated:
- 9,194 acres
- 5% contained
- "At least two dozen structures" damaged or destroyed (combination of homes and outbuildings)
- No injuries reported
- Cause unknown
The Southwest Area Incident Management Team 1 is now in command of the wildfire.
The Alexander Mountain Fire was first reported at around 10:38 a.m. Monday west of the Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch, Retreat & Wedding Venue, and forced the evacuations of thousands in the area.
In an update Thursday, officials said about 270 firefighters are attacking the fire from the ground while numerous aviation assets take to the sky.
On Thursday, when hotshot crews and multiple other resources arrive, crews will focus on the northwest perimeter and the Highway 34 corridor.
Larimer County declared a disaster emergency Tuesday, which will allow it to activate more local, state, and federal resources. On Wednesday, FEMA authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Alexander Mountain Fire.
🟥 WATCH: The latest on the Alexander Mountain Fire
- 1,553 acres
- 53% contained
- Evacuations lifted
- 5 structures destroyed
- 1 person dead
- 4 firefighters injured
- Cause unknown
"We anticipate less air support [Thursday] as it will be assigned to other fires that [are] still experiencing growth, unlike the Stone Canyon Fire, which had little growth," the Boulder Office of Disaster Management said.
Teams will continue to assess damage in the area.
The Stone Canyon Fire, reported just before 2 p.m. Tuesday, is burning just west of Rabbit Mountain and northeast of Lyons. It has destroyed at least five homes. Human remains were found in one of the five homes, Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson said during a press conference on Wednesday morning.
According to the Boulder Office of Disaster Management, there was no significant growth overnight Tuesday into Wednesday. The fire's most active section is its northeast section. There are more than 120 firefighters working on the ground, with 37 trucks at the scene.
On Wednesday, FEMA authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Stone Canyon Fire.
Residents who live in the Steamboat Valley and Stone Canyon neighborhoods were allowed to go back home on Thursday.
🟥 WATCH: The latest on the Stone Canyon Fire
- 431 acres
- 4% contained
- 575 homes evacuated across 5 subdivisions
- No structures reported destroyed
- 5 firefighters hospitalized (4 for heat exhaustion, 1 for a seizure)
- Cause unknown, but now an arson investigation
Hundreds of people were forced to evacuate their homes before dawn Wednesday after a wildfire near Deer Creek Canyon grew to approximately 200 acres by late morning. Windy conditions raised concerns the fire — the third in as many days in the Front Range — could spread even further throughout the day.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office posted on social media that residents in the Deer Creek Mesa, Sampson, McKinney, Murphy, and Maxwell subdivisions were under mandatory evacuation.
According to Jefferson County spokesperson Mark Techmeyer, the Silver Ranch and Silver Ranch South subdivisions were under pre-evacuation notices.
The fire was spotted by a Jefferson County deputy doing his regular patrol in the area at about 9 p.m. Tuesday night. He came across a small 10x10 spot fire that grew to 100 acres within about three hours "in a very populated area that is mountainous and steep," Techmeyer said during a news conference Wednesday morning.
While the sheriff's office said containment remains at 0%, the fire was less active Thursday and crews made progress.
🟥 WATCH: The latest on the Quarry Fire
- 7 acres
- Fire PIO says fire perimeter is secure
- All evacuation orders lifted
- At least 2 structures destroyed
- No injuries reported
- Likely human-caused and accidental
Firefighters battling a new wildfire that flared up southwest of Boulder Wednesday and destroyed at least one structure are slowly gaining ground.
The Lake Shore Fire, burning off Lake Shore Park Road near Gross Reservoir, is six acres and was first reported Wednesday afternoon. Fire officials said during an evening press conference that firefighters feel confident about containment.
All evacuation orders were lifted Thursday morning as firefighters made ground on the wildfire. The Boulder Office of Disaster Management said all road closures have been lifted as well.
Boulder officials said residents should expect to see firefighting equipment in the area and Xcel Energy crews were working to restore gas service.
The Boulder County Sheriff's Office said it is in contact with two individuals regarding the start of the fire. They don't believe it was intentionally set, but it was human-caused.
🟥 WATCH: The latest on the Lake Shore Fire
Hot, dry and hazy weather lingers over Colorado's Front Range Thursday
The hot and dry weather pattern remains in place, with very little rain in store over the next few days.
Fire danger continues to increase as several fires burn across our state.
A persistent dome of high pressure covers the Rocky Mountain region, blocking any cooling fronts from bringing down temperatures or producing precipitation.
Smoke from the fires in Boulder and Larimer Counties will spread over the I-25 corridor and across northeast Colorado. In addition, smoke from more distant wildfires will move across the northern Rockies into northern Colorado through Thursday.
The next chance of any moisture appears to be on Friday, but even those storms will be quite spotty. They could cause more trouble, though, due to wind and lightning. Be very careful with any burnable materials.
The extended outlook holds little sign of a change with more hot temperatures through next week and only spotty thunderstorms expected.
It will get slightly cooler by the middle of next week, with mid- to upper-80s.
🟥 WATCH: Denver7 live 24/7 weather stream
Wildfires are now a year-round threat in Colorado. Denver7 is committed to covering their impact and the people working to find solutions to the threat.
