(KAF2) Colorado fire destroys 51 structures: What sparked this human-caused blaze?
Original Reporting This article contains firsthand information gathered by
reporters. This includes directly interviewing sources and analyzing primary
source documents.
Investigators have determined that the Alexander Mountain fire, which has burned
nearly 10,000 acres in northern Colorado and destroyed 51 structures, was
human-caused.
The fire was sparked July 29 west of Loveland in Larimer County. As of Friday,
it had burned 9,669 acres and was 91% contained.
The fire destroyed 26 homes and damaged at least four others, according to a
report by the Larimer County Assessor. Twenty-one outbuildings were also
destroyed.
U.S. Forest Service wildland investigators are working with the Larimer County
Sheriff’s Office to chase clues on who may have started the fire, even if it
wasn’t intentionally.
Investigators are asking anyone with information about the start of the fire to
call the Forest Service’s tip line at 303-275-5266. Photos, videos and typed
statements can also be uploaded online.
They are interested in information about anyone who was in the area immediately
east and below the peak of Alexander Mountain, photos of the fire between 10:30
a.m. and 11:15 a.m. July 29 and information from anyone who spends time in the
Alexander Mountain area.
Alexander Mountain was one of three Front Range wildfires that officials have
determined were human-caused and ignited the last week of July, before rain
brought much-needed relief to extremely dry conditions.
Arson investigators are still looking into the cause of the Quarry fire, which
grew to nearly 580 acres in a highly-populated area of Jefferson County before
firefighters got the perimeter fully under control earlier this week.
On Saturday, officials from the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office and the Forest
Service made their way to where they believed the fire started. Sheriff John
Feyen said it was a “hard hike to get in there,” and that’s when they started
their forensic investigation. They know the origin of the fire and that it was
human-caused, but have not released further information on the investigation.
Federal investigators are also looking into the Stone Canyon fire that destroyed
five structures and is linked to one death in Boulder County.
The cause of the fire is still unknown, but the involvement of the Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, alongside Boulder County officials, indicates
that authorities suspect it was human-caused.
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TYPE OF STORY: NEWS
Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or
reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Olivia Prentzel covers breaking news and a wide range of other important issues
impacting Coloradans for The Colorado Sun, where she has been a staff writer
since 2021. At The Sun, she has covered wildfires, criminal justice, the
environment,…