At a Glance
- Colorado's Front Range is dealing with at least three major wildfires, leading to hundreds of evacuations.
- At least one person is reported dead in the Stone Canyon Fire.
- Thousands of acres already have burned and the fires show no signs of slowing.
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Colorado's Front Range is battling a trio of major wildfires amid scorching, dry conditions, prompting widespread evacuations and splitting resources as emergency crews respond. The fires have killed at least one person, consumed thousands of acres and several homes, according to fire officials. Governor Jared Polis declared disaster emergencies across Colorado, activating the state's emergency operations plan to aid in recovery and mitigation efforts.
Fire activity is expected to increase as temperatures rise. Firefighters will continue to battle crispy conditions late into the week.
Stone Canyon Fire
The Stone Canyon Fire, which erupted on Tuesday, grew 30% containment Thursday evening, and several mandatory evacuations were lifted in and around the town of Lyons. Several shuttered roads were reopened, and power was being restored to homes and businesses, The Denver Post reported.
One person has been killed by the fire near Lyons, according to Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson. At least two firefighters were also injured while fighting the flames, but the injuries were non-life-threatening, according to incident command spokesperson Jamie Barker.
The fire has destroyed at least five homes and scorched two square miles. So far, the fire's cause remains unknown, but investigators were looking into reports that the fire may have been human-caused. The Boulder County Sheriff's Office is asking the public for any information on how the fire started.
Quarry Fire
The Quarry Fire, previously known as the Wildland Fire, grew Thursday to 450 acres. Crews were working tirelessly to keep the fire from homes, digging out firelines, cutting back brush and vegetation and conducting burnouts along roadways, West Metro Fire Rescue shared on X.
Officials were concerned the fire could take days or weeks to battle. The rugged terrain was lending to the difficulty in fighting the fire. Denver7 reported that "weird items" were found at the fire's point of origin, and that those items are now the focus of the investigation.
“We’re in for a long battle,” Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Mark Techmeyer said in a news briefing Thursday. “What’s long? We don’t know yet.”
During a Friday morning press conference, Kevin Voss, chief of investigations from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, stated that they were conducting an arson investigation, meaning that the sheriff's office believes that the fire was human-caused in some manner.
Hundreds of homes were overnight Wednesday as the blaze exploded in an area southwest of Denver. The blaze, discovered by a deputy around 9 p.m. Tuesday, has burned more than a half mile and sits at 0% containment. Approximately 575 homes are under evacuation orders as firefighters battle to protect several subdivisions.
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Five firefighters were injured Wednesday, the Jefferson County sheriff said. Four suffered heat exhaustion and one had a seizure.
In addition to flames, smoke and steep terrain, firefighters have encountered another obstacle: rattlesnakes.
"There's even an area there called 'Rattlesnake Gulch,' they're so prevalent there. So we have a lot of things to be concerned about for our firefighters today," said Mark Techmeyer from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.
Animals rescued from the fire provided a far more welcome sight. The Jefferson County Sheriff asked people to bring large animals to the county fairgrounds.
Alexander Mountain Fire
Firefighters reached 5% containment on the Alexander Mountain Fire near the city of Loveland Thursday. The fire had grown beyond 8,000 acres and damaged or destroyed at least 24 homes and buildings, according to the Denver Post.
Evacuation orders remain in effect and firefighters were knocking on residents doors earlier this week to urge them to evacuate.
More than 300 responders, supported by helicopters and planes, are working to contain the flames, say officials. A towering column of smoke is visible from miles around, underscoring the fire's intensity, according to observations from the U.S. Forest Service.
The Department of Public Health and Environment issued health alerts for all of central Colorado due to heavy smoke and air pollutants from the wildfires. Residents report low visibility, ash in the air, and an intense smell of smoke, with plumes visible for miles. As road closures mount, the latest information on evacuation routes and community resources can be found on county websites.
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