LONGMONT, Colo. — Another fire at the abandoned Longmont Sugar Mill has property owners frustrated.
Brian Thomas, whose family's Clean Energy LLC owns 80 acres of the property including the factory building, spoke with Denver7 on Tuesday after the latest blaze. Fires have also broken out on the property in 2017, 2020 and 2024.
The cause of the latest fire is still under investigation, though Thomas believes he knows the answer.
"The homeless try to stay warm or just are messing around and they set fire to things out there," he told Denver7. "Whoever did it cut our camera feeds last night."
Thomas said those cameras have caught other trespassers in recent years, including "kids that are exploring the property." He said they even sometimes post videos on social media about the property being abandoned, which attracts other groups.
"It's an ongoing battle," he said.
Denver7 has covered several fires at the property, from as far back as September 2016 to as recent as August 2024.
The Boulder County Sheriff's Office said in a statement there have been "long-standing issues with the properties associated with the Sugar Mill." The department said it has "tried to work with the owners to mitigate the ongoing issues" and will "continue to respond to calls as the property."
- Full statement
"There have been long-standing issues with the properties associated with the Sugar Mill, including previous fires, trespasses, vandalism, etc. The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office has tried to work with the owners to mitigate the ongoing issues, including summonsing individuals when appropriate. There have also been efforts to remove unhoused encampments and deal with other issues as they arise. However, one of the issues that staves our efforts is directly related to the fact that areas of the property are inherently hazardous and unsafe for first responders to enter.
We will continue to respond to calls at the property to ensure the safety of the community to the fullest extent possible. We encourage the property owners to continue to mitigate these hazards and secure the property to help reduce safety concerns and prevent additional incidents from occurring."
Thomas argues he and his family are doing what they can to keep the property secure.
"We literally are up there every week fixing fencing somewhere," he said. "Private security, 24/7, is a little bit out of our budget."
Thomas said his family has been trying to sell the property. He blames higher interest rates and what he calls strict regulations from the City of Longmont for scaring off some developers. He said one local developer who was recently under contract walked away from a redevelopment project last year.
"A little bit of time and better interest rates, you know, in a city that's a little easier to work with... hopefully we can come together and work together for a solution on that with the City of Longmont," he said.
In a statement, the City of Longmont told Denver7 that "no formal development plans have been finalized" but it "remains committed to engaging with stakeholders to ensure that any discussions about the site’s future align with community interests and regional planning efforts."
- Full statement
"While the City has previously discussed its potential for future development, any such plans would require coordination with Boulder County and other relevant stakeholders.
At this time, no formal development plans have been finalized.
The City of Longmont remains committed to engaging with stakeholders to ensure that any discussions about the site’s future align with community interests and regional planning efforts."
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