Wildfire Danger Continues

Although Colorado’s wildfire season typically spans May through September, extremely dry conditions paired with above average temperatures and high winds are changing the seasonal nature of fires. In the past month, there have been five fires in Boulder County which have prompted evacuation orders.

As previously reported in the April 20th edition of the Left Hand Valley Courier, two fires, the Tally Ho fire and the Table Mountain fire, both in the Gunbarrel/Niwot area, occurred within a day of each other. The first fire on April 19, 2022, was near the Tally Ho Trail south of Twin Lakes in Gunbarrel and reached a size of just under 10 acres before being extinguished.

Residents in the surrounding area were evacuated through door-to-door alerts from responding agencies and neighbors helping neighbors. Fortunately no injuries were reported and no structures were damaged. The cause of the fire has been identified and charges are pending against an adult female resident of the area. The name of the resident and the cause of the fire have not yet been released.

The Table Mountain Fire occurred shortly after 3:00 p.m. on April 20th in the 5000 block of Nelson Road, near Table Mountain. The fire grew to approximately 52 acres before being extinguished despite the high winds. Mandatory evacuations were ordered for the area bordered by 51st Street to 63rd Street and Nelson Road to Neva Road. The evacuation order was lifted at 5:00 p.m. that day.

As with the Tally Ho fire, no injuries or property damage were reported. The Boulder County Sheriff’s office quickly concluded their investigation into the cause of the fire. It was determined that three researchers from the University of Colorado-Boulder’s Aerospace Engineering Department were in the area utilizing a drone in order to conduct severe weather studies. The drone crashed at a high rate of speed causing the drone’s lithium-ion battery cell to dislodge and ignite.

Although the researchers had a fire extinguisher with them, they were unable to douse the fire before it quickly spread due to high winds and dry conditions. The crew was flying within regulations and the capacity of the drone. They remained on the scene and were fully cooperative with investigators. No charges will be filed in the incident.

Due to the conditions, on Thursday April 21, 2022, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office enacted Level 1 Fire Restrictions for all areas of unincorporated Boulder County. The restrictions prohibit the following:

Building, maintaining, attending, or using an open fire, campfire or stove fire (including charcoal barbecues and grills) on public land;

The sale, use and possession of fireworks, including permissible fireworks;

Shooting or discharging firearms for recreational purposes, except for hunting with a valid and current hunting license on public land;

Smoking, except in an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials;

Operating a chainsaw without a USDA or SAE-approved spark arrester properly installed and in effective working order. A chemical, pressurized fire-extinguisher must be kept with the operator, and at least one round-point shovel with an overall length of at least 35 inches must be readily available for use;

Welding or operating an acetylene or other open-flame torch, except in cleared areas of at least 10 feet in diameter, and with a chemical, pressurized fire-extinguisher immediately available for use;

Using an explosive; and

Parking motorized vehicles in grass or vegetated areas that can come in contact with the underside of the vehicle.

This restriction does not apply to agricultural burning as that is protected by state law. However, in a press release the Sheriff’s Office indicated that any agricultural fire that damages other property will prompt civil and criminal prosecution. Any planned agricultural burn must be called in to Boulder County Sheriff dispatch and should not occur on red flag, fire weather watch or high wind warning/watch days.

People who violate the restrictions could face civil charges and up to a $1,000 fine. The Fire Restrictions will be in place until it has been determined that the hazardous conditions no longer exist.