Parts of northwest Boulder County remain evacuated as the Cal-Wood Fire was estimated at 8,788 acres Sunday morning.
Sunday morning started with drizzle, fog and temperatures in the low 30s.
Boulder County sheriff’s Division Chief Mike Wagner said the plan for Sunday was for aerial crews to hit the fire “as hard as they can” before winds picked back up later in the day, but the morning fog was restricting flights.
Fire crews are continuing to work the fire from on the ground, with teams trying to get into the field to assess damage when it’s safe, he said.
The fire was first reported at noon Saturday near the Cal-Wood Education Center at 2282 County Road 87.
Per scanner traffic, fire crews estimated the fire to be at 3,000 acres at 3 p.m. Saturday, and by 8:20 p.m. officials estimated it to be at 7,064 acres in size. The fire was at 0% containment Saturday night.
Officials said strong winds pushed the fire’s growth on Saturday, with the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s Mesa lab recording gusts of up to 59 mph in Boulder County.
A cause and point of origin have not yet been determined. Wagner did say Saturday night that there were no lightning strikes in the area, so the fire was likely not weather-related.
While there were several social media accounts of houses in the area burning, officials said they have not been able to confirm whether any structures were lost at this time.
But Wagner said late Saturday that based on the path of the fire, officials believe it is likely “multiple” houses were lost.
Saturday, the evacuation area included Jamestown plus areas north of Jamestown east through Altona. However, evacuation orders for all areas east of North Foothills Highway were lifted at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Jamestown remains in the evacuation warning area.
In total, Boulder County officials said 1,646 residences were within the mandatory evacuation area on Saturday, with a population of 2,984 people.
A complete evacuation map can be found at http://bouldercounty.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=13ab214fe2bb4da5a850df0ca0f00fc5.
Residents of Lyons have been advised to be ready to evacuate if the fire changes directions Sunday, but at this time no mandatory orders have been issued for the town.
An evacuation point has been set up at Boulder County’s North Broadway Complex at 3460 N. Broadway where evacuees can find information.
Pets are allowed at that point, or they can be taken to The Humane Society of Boulder Valley at 2323 55th St. Livestock can be taken to the Boulder County Fairgrounds, 9595 Nelson Road in Longmont, though the fairgrounds were filling up. If the Boulder County Fairgrounds is full, livestock can be taken to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds at 15200 W. 6th Ave. Frontage Road in Golden.
The fire also caused several road closures in the area, including South St. Vrain between Peak to Peak Highway and Lyons, including Riverside Drive. County Road 87 is also closed.
U.S. 36 remained closed between Boulder and Lyons overnight Saturday. Lee Hill Road is closed at Lefthand Canyon, as is Olde Stage Road.
Per scanner traffic, the main fire or spot fires had flared up east of North Foothills Highway near Lake of the Pines Saturday night.
Heil Valley Ranch and Hall Ranch trails are closed. Lagerman Agricultural Preserve, Pella Crossing and Anne U. White Trail on Boulder County open space also were closed as the fire advanced, while Longmont closed Button Rock Preserve.
Officials advised people to avoid the area to allow first responders room to work.
U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Lafayette, announced on Saturday that FEMA has authorized federal funds to help fight the fire through a Fire Management Assistance Grant.
"wood" - Google News
October 18, 2020 at 10:35PM
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Cal-Wood fire at 8,788 acres Sunday morning - The Daily Camera
"wood" - Google News
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