LOVELAND, Colo. — The Alexander Mountain Fire burning in Larimer County exploded to over 5,000 acres as evacuations expanded amid 0% containment.
New mandatory evacuation orders were issued Tuesday for the estimated 5,080-acre fire burning west of Loveland.
According to the Larimer County Sheriff's Office, the areas listed below are under a mandatory evacuation order. Residents in these areas should evacuate immediately.
- Residents from the north side of Carter Lake north to Highway 34.
- Residents in the Masonville area and those along Glade Road from Highway 34 to Indian Creek
- Residents along County Road 43 from Drake to just west of Old Bridge Road
- Residents from Drake to The Dam Store along Highway 34
- Residents on Waltonia Road, Sylvan Dale to Ellis Ranch, and Edan Valley to Sunrise Ranch
- Residents living along County Road 18E from Pole Hill to Pinewood Reservoir
The areas listed below are under a voluntary evacuation order. Residents in these areas should gather essential items and prepare for evacuation.
- Residents in Hidden Valley east of Devils Backbone, including Ridge Parkway and Spring Glade Road to the north
- Residents north of CR43, including Dunraven Glade Road and Streamside Drive, as well as those north of the Dunraven Trailhead
- Residents off of Glade Road from Highway 34 north to Indian Creek, as well as those County Road 18E from County Road 31 to County Road 29
As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, about 3,245 devices were contacted for mandatory evacuations, while 826 were notified of voluntary evacuations, according to Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen.
Evacuees can head to Namaqua Elementary School in Loveland and the Estes Park Events Complex. After 5 p.m., those at the elementary school will need to move to Foundations Church, located at 1380 N. Denver Avenue in Loveland. However, some in the mandatory evacuation zones are risking their safety and choosing to stay and fight.
Wildfire
Some Alexander Mountain Fire evacuees pack up, others prepare to fight
People with ranch animals were advised to head to the Island Grove Regional Park, located at 501 N 14th Ave. in Greeley, while those with small animals (such as dogs, cats, etc.) were told to evacuate to NoCo Humane. Residents were advised to call them at (970) 226-3647, option 0, before heading there, however, to ask which of their two locations was taking in those smaller animals.
Those in the fire zone were advised to text LCEVAC to 888-777 for updates. A map of the evacuation area can be viewed here or in the embed below.
The fire is growing primarily along the north, west and east perimeters. Over 270 firefighters were on the ground Tuesday, focusing on critical infrastructure and private property.
Crews will focus on the northwest perimeter as well as the Highway 34 corridor Thursday, when hotshot crews and multiple other resources will be arriving.
Larimer County declared a disaster emergency Tuesday, which will allow the county to activate more local, state and federal resources.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. The U.S Forest Service has opened a portal for anyone to submit information that can help in the investigation into what started this fire. You can submit a tip by clicking here.
The Loveland Police Department went into Accident Alert on Tuesday. Motorists involved in a crash that does not involve injury, impairment, an uninsured vehicle and vehicles that are not movable should exchange information and make a report through this link.
The U.S. Postal Service said the fire has impacted customers served by the Masonville and Drake post offices. USPS said impacted customers can pick up their mail at the following locations:
- Customers served by the Masonville Post Office can pick up their mail at the Loveland Mail Post Office, located at 446 E. 29th Street in Loveland
- Customers serviced by the Drake Post Office can pick up their mail at the Estes Park Post Office, located at 215 W. Riverside Dr. in Estes Park
Tuesday updates
In an update Tuesday morning, the USFS said the fire grew to 992 acres in size overnight and was 0% contained. Following several morning flights, aircraft determined that the fire was more than 5,000 acres as of 7 p.m.
“It’s [a] pretty significant increase from yesterday," said Mike Smith, USFS incident commander, Tuesday morning. "With the low relative humidities overnight, we really saw the fire continue to burn throughout the night.”
In an update Tuesday afternoon, Smith said about 270 firefighters are attacking the fire from the ground while numerous aviation assets take to the sky. Firefighters will continue to tackle the blaze overnight to "try and do what we can," Smith said.
First responders are dealing with near-critical fire weather in the area. High temperatures and low humidity are expected throughout the day, the USFS said. There will also be a significant amount of smoke as firefighters work to contain the blaze.
A lack of national resources is also putting a strain on firefighters' efforts. Smith said the national preparedness level is currently at Level 5, meaning "there just aren't very many [national] teams or assets available."
A complex incident management team will arrive Wednesday and take over command of the fire, Smith said.
The State of Colorado has provided several resources, including the Firehawk, a newly manufactured S-70M Black Hawk helicopter. The Firehawk was in the sky all day Monday, according to state officials, and is expected to be up all day Tuesday.
The Firehawk is a "game changer" when it comes to fighting fires and includes a 1,000-gallon water tank that can fill in less than a minute, extended landing gear to accommodate the tank, a retractable snorkel that can refill it in less than one minute, and a rescue hoist. In addition to attacking wildfires, the state-owned aircraft can transport up to 12 firefighters to the fire line, plus their equipment, and rescue people when needed. It is designed to stop fires before they can grow, can fly in the night, and is capable of flying in worse wind conditions than standard helicopters.
Governor Jared Polis on Tuesday issued a verbal disaster declaration in order to aid response efforts for the Larimer County fire. The declarations will allow first responders to access more resources.
“We are working to ensure that Coloradans impacted by these fires have the resources they need and we are providing critical state support to help manage and contain these fires as quickly as possible to protect our communities and prevent costly damage. These actions will help deploy resources more quickly to Colorado communities. I’m grateful to the incredible frontline responders who are fighting these fires around the clock and I continue monitoring these fires very closely,” Polis said in a statement.
Wednesday updates
The Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland sent out an update on the Alexander Mountain Fire Wednesday just after 8:30 a.m.
Multi-Mission Aircraft flew over the Alexander Mountain Fire at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday as it remained active overnight, but the acreage did not grow. The fire remains at 5,080 acres with 0% containment. But the smoke from the Alexander Mountain Fire has settled over the area and will linger until noon Wednesday, the Arpahoe and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland update said.
There have been no structures reported destroyed in the Alexander Mountain Fire, as of the Wednesday morning update.
