BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — Some residents who were evacuated for the Stone Canyon Fire north of Lyons have been allowed to return to their homes.
The Stone Canyon Fire, which was reported just before 2 p.m. Tuesday, is burning just west of Rabbit Mountain and northeast of Lyons. It has torched 1,553 acres and "little growth is occurring," the Boulder Office of Disaster Management (ODM) said Thursday. The fire is 30% contained as of 7:30 p.m. Thursday. That containment line is along the southeastern edge.
Residents who live in the Steamboat Valley and Stone Canyon neighborhoods have been allowed to go back home. Boulder ODM said power should be restored by the later afternoon, and Xcel Energy will come to the neighborhood Friday at 8 a.m. to help where needed. The county will place dumpsters in the neighborhood for spoiled items, so the ODM is asking residents not to leave food waste on the road or sidewalk.
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Roads that were closed for the emergency response are also beginning to reopen:
- The Steamboat Valley Road closure has moved north to Lewis Lane Trail
- Stone Canyon Drive is open to Eagle Ridge Road to residents
- Nolan Road is open to Eagle Ridge Road to residents
- Blue Mountain Road is open between Highway 36 and up into Larimer County at County Road 37E and Lone Star Road
Checkpoints are in place at Stone Canyon and Nolan Road, so people who live in the area need to have proof of residency.
Below is a map of the evacuations and fire perimeter. Click here for a larger version.
One person has died in this fire and four firefighters were injured, officials confirmed Wednesday. Human remains were found in one burned structure along the 2600 block of Eagle Ridge Road, according to Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson on Wednesday and a Thursday update from the Boulder County Sheriff's Office. No other details were immediately available on the fatality.
Five homes were destroyed. The Boulder County Sheriff Office said around 6:40 p.m. Wednesday that those residents have been notified about the loss.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has deployed its certified fire investigators to this wildfire. The Boulder County Sheriff's Office is asking anybody with information about how this fire started to contact the office at 303-441-3674 or bcsotips@bouldercounty.gov.
The cause remains under investigation.
Overnight, crews will continue working along the northwest and northeast edges of the fire and knocking out any hotspots, said Nathan Hellman, incident commander for the Stone Canyon Fire.
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.