One person has been found dead and five homes have been destroyed in the Stone Canyon fire. Lyons residents have been allowed to return to their homes after being evacuated Tuesday afternoon.
Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson said during a news conference Wednesday morning that human remains were found in one of the destroyed homes. Johnson said no other people are currently missing.
Johnson said officials could not comment on the nature of the death. The identity of the person has not yet been released.
“(Detectives) are working on that and trying to figure out what happened,” Johnson said.
Authorities reported Wednesday afternoon that the Stone Canyon Fire north of Lyons is 1,548 acres. The fire is still 0% contained, but Johnson said there has been “no significant growth” as of Tuesday evening when the fire was measured at just over 1,300 acres.
Johnson said the fire remains most active in the northern and eastern portions, with flames moving toward open space and agricultural areas away from Lyons. Johnson said firefighters have made “significant progress” in strengthening fire lines south of the fire that protect the city, and planes with fire retardant and water returned Wednesday.
“Although the weather conditions were not really favorable, we did not get the strong winds that were potentially forecast for our area,” Johnson said. “So there was not much growth on the fire last night. Firefighters put a lot of time and effort into securing the west and south sides of the fire because that area is closest to the city of Lyons and we are doing everything we can to protect the community.”
The fire and an expected wind shift forced evacuations in the northern half of Lyons Tuesday afternoon. An evacuation warning was also issued for the Steamboat Mountain area northwest of Lyons, bounded by U.S. 36 on the south and Blue Mountain Road on the west.
But Boulder County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Vinnie Montez said evacuation orders for the town of Lyons were lifted just after 10 a.m. Wednesday. The evacuation warning for the Steamboat Mountain area also was lifted.
Evacuation orders remain in effect for areas north and east of Lyons near the fire, including Eagle Canyon, Eagle Ridge and Stone Canyon and parts of Larimer County.
A map of the evacuation area can be found at BoulderODM.gov.
Montez said a total of 2,286 evacuation notices were issued Tuesday. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office reported that 157 residential buildings were still under evacuation orders.
In a Wednesday afternoon alert, authorities said more than 120 firefighters were on the ground and 37 trucks were on the scene. Air support would continue through the afternoon, the alert said.
‘Keeping an eye on the fire all night long’
Lyons resident Kevin Scott, 45, returned to his home Wednesday after receiving the all-clear from an Everbridge alert. Scott, who works in the Gunbarrel area, went home Tuesday to pick up his kids, packed his go-bag and left town, but he said the evacuation didn’t worry him too much.
“I wasn’t super worried, it’s a little nerve-wracking. I’m glad they lifted the evacuation,” he said.
Scott was able to spend the night with friends while other locals stayed behind. Kurt Carlson, whose home was still in an evacuation zone Wednesday morning, said he spent the night in his vehicle on the south side of Lyons.
“I slept all night in the bed of my truck on the other side of the river, with my eyes on the fire,” Carlson said. “I didn’t sleep a second. I didn’t sleep at all. I think I still have some adrenaline pumping through my body from the whole experience and I want to get back up there, but I think we’re still in the evacuation zone.”
Carlson estimates his home was about 600 feet from the flames at the time of his evacuation. He praised the crews and firefighters who responded to the fire for their work.
“God bless the pilots. God bless the firefighters out there in the 100-degree heat,” Carlson said. “They were absolutely amazing to work with. I can’t say enough about what they did.”
Carlson stressed the importance of hillside residents taking care of their property and taking precautions against fires.
“It’s critical that everyone takes care of their property,” he said. “If it gets to that point, you have to step in and if you can’t, you probably shouldn’t have property in this area.
“We have to build resilience into everything we do,” Carlson said.
Both U.S. 36 and Colo. 66 to Lyons reopened to traffic Wednesday after being closed Tuesday to allow evacuated residents to head south and east out of the city following the evacuation order.
The fire was first reported around 1:45 p.m. Tuesday, when Boulder County dispatchers sent emergency responders to the area of Eagle Ridge Road and Lewis Lane for a wildfire, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office said.
No cause has been identified at this time.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Regional Air Quality Council have issued an Action Day Alert in Boulder County that is expected to remain in effect until at least 4 p.m. Thursday. Boulder County Public Health is urging residents and visitors to take steps to protect their health due to the heavy smoke in the air.
UPDATE: Great news, #StoneCanyonFire evacuation orders for the city of Lyons are LIFT. Evacuation orders for areas north and east of the city remain in effect. Updated map here: https://t.co/Fb2dLpnlGm photo.twitter.com/o6XgwGo07C
— Mitchell Byars (@mitchellbyars) July 31, 2024
Declaration of disaster
Colorado Governor Jared Polis issued a verbal emergency declaration for the Stone Canyon fire on Tuesday, in addition to declarations he made earlier in the day for the Alexander Mountain fires near Loveland and the Currant Creek fires in Delta County.
FEMA also authorized funds for the Stone Canyon Fire and the Alexander Mountain Fire just after noon Wednesday. According to a press release, FEMA determined that “the fires had such a devastating impact that it would constitute a major disaster.”
The release states that at the time of the request for Stone Canyon Fire assistance, the fire threatened more than 480 homes, as well as roads, bridges, infrastructure and utilities. According to FEMA, the agency can pay 75 percent of the state’s eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant. FEMA noted in the release that these grants do not provide assistance to individual homes or businesses, and do not cover other infrastructure damage.
All roads north of the intersection of Blue Mountain Road and U.S. 36 are closed, including connecting roads. Everything north of the intersection of Steamboat Valley Road and Fifth Avenue is closed, as is everything north of Ute Highway and the intersection of North 53rd and 55th Streets.
US 36 is closed between Colo. 66 and Blue Mountain Drive, as well as Fifth Avenue from Old Saint Vrain Road to Broadway Street.
In a previous update, the following closures were announced: Eagle Canyon Road between Stone Canyon Drive and Steamboat Valley Road; Lewis Lane from Eagle Ridge Road; Stone Canyon Drive at US 36; Osprey Lane from Eagle Valley Drive; Eagle Valley Drive from Stone Canyon Drive; Nolan Road; Peregrine Lane from Eagle Valley Drive; and Falcon Lane at Eagle Valley Drive.
According to Boulder County Parks and Open Space, the Ron Stewart Preserve at Rabbit Mountain is also closed due to the fire.
An evacuation center has been opened at the Boulder County Fairgrounds in the Exhibit Building, 9595 Nelson Road. As of 4:16 p.m. Tuesday, all new large animal evacuations were being directed to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, 15200 W. Sixth Ave., in Golden. The Gilpin County Fairgrounds, at 230 Norton Drive, in Black Hawk, is not open. The Humane Society of Boulder Valley, 2323 55th St., in Boulder, will take in evacuated pets. Free pet food and supplies are also available there.
Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center was evacuated Tuesday and announced an emergency closure. The center asked the public to call their local animal control or AHnow.org for animal emergencies.
The Boulder County Office of Disaster Management has issued a warning asking the public not to drop off donations at the Boulder County Fairgrounds. Those interested in donating are directed to the donation tab on BoulderODM.org, where people can let the office know what donations are available.
