MEDIA RELEASE Tuesday, February 14th, 2006
TO: Boulder County Area Media
FROM: Cmdr. Phil West #303/441-3621
RE: Elk Mountain Fire
Case #06-834
Strong, gusting winds pushed a small grass fire into a fast-running brush fire that consumed an estimated 600 acres north of Boulder early Tuesday afternoon.
The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office was notified of the fire at 11:46 a.m. At that time, it was confined to the shoulder of the North Foothills Highway, near a home located at 10190 North Foothills Highway. However, with tinder dry fuels and wind gusts of 25-30 miles per hour, the fire quickly grew to encompass several hundred acres, burning north and east toward St. Vrain Road and North 49th Street.
Dubbed the Elk Mountain Fire, the fire drew firefighters and apparatus from nearly a dozen local fire protection districts (including the Hygiene Fire Protection District, Lyons F.P.D., Lefthand F.P.D., Berthoud F.P.D., Mountain View F.P.D., Four Mile F.P.D., Boulder Rural F.P.D., Indian Peaks F.P.D., Boulder Heights F.P.D., and Boulder Mountain F.P.D). and Boulder municipal and Longmont municipal fire departments. Personnel from the Boulder Emergency Squad and Longmont Emergency Unit provided assistance with staffing road closures, as did troopers of the Colorado State Patrol. The Red Cross provided food and water for the firefighters and the Pridemark Paramedic Service assigned an ambulance to the event, which, fortunately, was not needed as there were no injuries sustained.
Firefighters set several strategic “back fires” in the path of the blaze, robbing it of needed fuels and stemming its advance. County road crews with water trucks helped maintain a firebreak by soaking down North 49th Street. The fire threatened to jump the road, but fortunately was prevented from doing so by the quick action of the emergency crews.
Several homes were also threatened by the advancing flames, but again, firefighters were on the spot to quell the blaze before any structures were lost. Damage was largely confined to burned fences, trees, brush and grass.
A number of area residents voluntarily evacuated their homes. The Boulder County Fairgrounds were made available for the emergency stabling of livestock.
Firefighting operations necessitated the temporary closure of the North Foothills Highway (US Highway 36) between Nelson and St. Vrain Roads, and the closure of 49th Street between Nelson and St. Vrain Roads.
Fortunately, the wind began to die down as the afternoon progressed, and the fire was considered 90% contained by 3:30 p.m. Fire Command began de-mobilizing and by 4:00 p.m. all road closures were re-opened to traffic. Several fire crews will remain on-scene overnight to mop up hot spots and any flare-ups.
Sheriff’s investigators are interviewing witnesses and assessing the scene in order to determine the point of origin and cause of the fire. The Sheriff’s Office will put out a supplemental press release when new information becomes available.
This media release may be found on the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office web-site at:
www.bouldersheriff.org
LT. Detective Phil West
Boulder County Sheriff's Office
303-441-3621
