Alexander Mountain Fire fully contained but more homes added to destroyed list
The number of houses destroyed in the Alexander Mountain Fire grew by two as
officials announced the wildfire west of Loveland was 100% contained.
Saturday’s news release by the Roosevelt National Forest showed a total of 28
houses and 21 outbuildings were destroyed. The last reported number of houses
lost in the fire was 26, according to fire officials. The number of outbuildings
destroyed remained the same.
All destroyed structures occurred in the Cedar Park area.
The final number of acres burned remained at 9,668.
Firefighters will continue to monitor the area and Burned Area Emergency
Response (BAER) work continues to assess the damage to the landscape, according
to the news release.
More: First look behind the fire lineTour behind Alexander Mountain Fire lines
reveals both total destruction and spared homes
Here is the timeline of the Alexander Mountain Fire and how it compares to other
notable Larimer County wildfires:
ALEXANDER MOUNTAIN FIRE TIMELINE
- July 29: First detected at 10:39 a.m. north of U.S. Highway 34 on the east
flank of Alexander Mountain just west of Sylvan Dale Ranch. - July 30: First evacuations ordered
- Aug. 8: U.S. Highway 34 fully reopens
- Aug. 12: All evacuation orders lifted
- Aug. 17: Fire 100% contained
“The Forest wants to recognize both the hard work as well as the stress and
difficulty of the past three weeks,” Acting Forest Supervisor Jason Sieg stated
in the news release. “There are members of the Cedar Park community who lost
property and homes, and we will support them as best we can alongside our
community partners and local agencies. As we move into the recovery phase of the
work, we look forward to continuing to work together, and we know the work is
not over.”
HOW THE ALEXANDER MOUNTAIN FIRE COMPARES TO OTHER NOTABLE LARIMER COUNTY
WILDFIRES
Alexander Mountain Fire
- Duration: Started July 29, 2024, and was 100% contained Aug. 17
- Acres: 9,668
- Deaths: 0
- Buildings: 28 homes and 21 outbuildings destroyed, four homes damaged
- Cause: Human. Under investigation.
- Firefighting cost: Not available
- Origination: About 15 miles west of Loveland
Cameron Peak Fire
- Duration: Aug. 13 to Dec. 2, 2020, 100% containment
- Acres: 208,913. Largest wildfire in Colorado history
- Deaths: 0
- Buildings: 224 residential structures, including 42 primary residences, 220
outbuildings, 17 business structures destroyed - Cause: Unknown
- Firefighting cost: $134 million
- Origination: Roosevelt National Forest between Cameron Peak and the Chambers
Lake Campground
High Park Fire
- Duration: June 9-30 2012, 100% containment
- Acres: 87,284 acres
- Deaths: 1
- Buildings: 259 homes. Fifth largest in state by the number of homes
destroyed. - Cause: Lightning
- Firefighting cost: $38.4 million
- Origination: 15 miles west of Fort Collins
Bobcat Gulch Fire
- Duration: June 12, 2000, 100% containment several days later
- Acres: Perimeter of fire 10,600 acres
- Deaths: 0
- Buildings: 22
- Cause: Abandoned campfire
- Firefighting cost: Not available
- Origination: About 20 miles southwest of Fort Collins
LARIMER COUNTY OFFERS $1,000 TO OFFSET BUILDING PERMIT
Larimer County will soon initiate a disaster rebuild program for the Alexander
Mountain Fire that will include some tools for people whose homes were impacted
by the fire.
The rebuild program would include a maximum $1,000 reduction on the building
permit fee for people who want to rebuild the homes damaged by the wildfire (and
up to $500 for outbuildings).
The program would be similar to what the county has done after previous
wildfires.
See the full story here.
To reach the Larimer County’s Fire Recovery Line, call 970-980-2800 or check the
county’s Alexander Mountain Fire Recovery website for additional information.
ALEXANDER MOUNTAIN FIRE HUMAN CAUSED. HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP IN THE
INVESTIGATION
Investigators are still accepting information regarding the wildfire that
officials determined was human caused.
Anyone with information about the potential cause or origin of the fire can call
the U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement Tip Line at 303-275-5266. Photos and
videos that may help with this investigation can be submitted via the U.S.
Forest Service website.
Coloradoan reporter Ignacio Calderon contributed to this report.