Ready, Aim, FIRE!

[eddiememphis]

https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/wildfire/wildfire-loveland-evacuations-colorado/73-15d780a8-b4e0-4a00-8e0c-dad82a1d5c2f

The Larimer County Sheriff's Office ordered mandatory evacuations Monday for a wildfire near Storm Mountain, west of Loveland, that quickly grew to hundreds of acres.

It's that time of the year again.

I saw this one blow up. I was in Loveland today and thought it was a house fire until I got a better view and saw it was on the mountainside. That was about 11:15.

By the time I started heading down I-25 it was huge, with the smoke reaching well east of the interstate.

It was 21 percent humidity in Loveland at 10:00. It was 9 percent in Arvada three hours later. No rain on the forecast.

We could be in for another nasty fire season this last part of the summer.

[Sawin]

The fire is just down the canyon from my family in Glen Haven, a bit closer to Drake and east of them. The winds tend to blow east, so they're "not in the direct path", says my cousin. They own/operate the General Store in Glen Haven, and have gone through this routine before so are trying not to be too concerned yet, but we're all watching this one closely.

[Mtneer]

Highly recommend downloading the Watch Duty app. It's free on iPhone. But if you pay for the $25/annual subscription, you get to see the real time air attacks.

I'm watching Tanker 40 doing a run and heading back. The Chinook and Bell 205 have been doing laps from the nearest lake to the fire, an Airbus chopper is doing laps around the fire, a SETAC is doing many drops, and a little Cesna is providing overwatch.

Because of this app, I knew about the fire when it was 10 acres. Then got regular updates as it grew.

Tanker 10 inbound now!

[Ah Pook]

Y'all stay safe!

I know that area and it's unpredictability.

[BPTactical]

The fire is just down the canyon from my family in Glen Haven, a bit closer to Drake and east of them. The winds tend to blow east, so they're "not in the direct path", says my cousin. They own/operate the General Store in Glen Haven, and have gone through this routine before so are trying not to be too concerned yet, but we're all watching this one closely.

Hope they stay safe

[hollohas]

Taking this one seriously. I could see the smoke from Kipling and 285 this morning. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240730/90f3a0963a9528e90e8feea718671616.jpg

[Jer]

Monitoring things closely as they just moved the voluntary evacuation zone to right next to our neighborhood. I had a pic I took yesterday right @ 11:00am from in front of our house that I was going to share but it seems as though maybe the site's image size limit might be acting up a bit(?) today. It's dry, it's hot but thankfully it hasn't been overly windy.

If that last condition changes and we start to get winds... things might get a little bit dicey. We'd be in similar territory of conditions outside of Superior last year. I'm sure that the powers that be are operating with an overabundance of caution on this one. Rightly so. These evac zones are probably about as conservative as they've ever been but I'm still monitoring things closely to see if we're going to need to boogey up outa here or not.

It was at 350 acres yesterday shortly after the first pics I took and then 950 acres @ 6:50am this morning when command was taken over by the big dogs. It's now at about 2,000 acres and still 0% containment. So the rate at which it's doubling currently is a bit concerning so hopefully things plateau a bit.

We're already considering logistics of the worse case scenario happens. I've reached out to those I know who are in the newly updated mandatory evacuation zones to see if they need anything or any help. Same goes to anyone here reading this if there's something immediately we can help with but my guess is we're probably closest to the path of people on the forum who haven't already been evacuated. No space for large animals (we're in city neighborhood on the literal edge of civilization) but we take small animals and store items if it helps.

Let me know and best of wishes for all those affected.

[flogger]

Thats tough, hope everything ends well.
Lots of air traffic and crappy hot on the ground. Prayers to the crews and anyone in peril.
Any idea how this started?

[Jer]

Thats tough, hope everything ends well.
Lots of air traffic and crappy hot on the ground. Prayers to the crews and anyone in peril.
Any idea how this started?

Still unknown. Not a cloud in the sky & no storms in or around the area for several days prior though so we can probably safely rule out lightning strike in my unprofessional opinion. I hate to say it but probably some dumb human did something dumb as is usually the case in these sorts of things, sadly. I'd love to be wrong but, either way, the damage is currently being done.

[Sawin]

There's a new one right up against Lyons, CO today now too... ugh

[Jer]

There's a new one right up against Lyons, CO today now too... ugh

I saw that. Resources were already pretty thin so these new fires popping up all over are really going to tax how they're able to address them. I just watched a statement that was just given how they were talking about using what resources they had to get people/animals out and protect structures as best as possible.

They're "expecting additional assets to arrive within a few days" but until then there's not much "fighting" the blaze going on so much as getting people out of the path and doing what they can for structures. He mentioned calling in engines from around the area to assist as best as possible with structure fires and two hand crews in addition to the ariel assets listed above.

As I check the weather it looks like we may have caught a break in that there's s chance for rain in the forecast for Monday which is a day earlier than it was looking like yesterday. That's still far enough out that things are sure to change but it's at least some hope since it looks like it's going to be hot and dry otherwise.

[eddiememphis]

I was thinking today about what I would take if I had an hour to evacuate my home.

Other than the dog and a couple of guns, nothing jumped out at me.

Seems I have 1500 square feet filled with valueless junk.

[flogger]

Nothing like a little excitement to start the week! Stay safe, my wife would be a complete wreck.
I need to checkout flight radar 24.

[Jer]

Nothing like a little excitement to start the week! Stay safe, my wife would be a complete wreck.
I need to checkout flight radar 24.

Met a few of our neighbors out in the street yesterday afternoon and one of the husbands was a mess. I couldn't believe how visibly and audibly he was freaking out and that was when it was barely even a few hundred acres. His wife said he had anxiety and I was like... yeah.. no shit lady. I was instantly made to feel like I had things under control, comparatively. lol

[Sawin]

Met a few of our neighbors out in the street yesterday afternoon and one of the husbands was a mess. I couldn't believe how visibly and audibly he was freaking out and that was when it was barely even a few hundred acres. His wife said he had anxiety and I was like... yeah.. no shit lady. I was instantly made to feel like I had things under control, comparatively. lol

lol yeah some people surprise me… how’d they make it this long…I’ve known a few like your neighbor.

[BushMasterBoy]

View from my house a few weeks ago. Lightning started it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gPIM_72MHQ

[TRnCO]

And now a 3rd fire popped up last night. Looking to me like we have an arsonist playing with matches.

Pray for rain folks. Pray for rain....

[hollohas]

And now a 4th outside Boulder near Gross Reservoir.

[eddiememphis]

Looking to me like we have an arsonist playing with matches.

Or it could be a a hot dry summer with no rain and little humidity.

Although I am certain Joe_K will find some way to blame the Jews.

[TRnCO]

a hot dry summer with no rain in of itself does not start wildfires.

[matttahoe53]

a hot dry summer with no rain in of itself does not start wildfires.

This has been my thought as well. I?ve been monitoring the US drought map as an indicator of how bad the fire season could be and most of the west has been not in a drought or ?abnormally dry? and this feels like arson or idiocy by people in the woods.

[kidicarus13]

Damn Tannerite and tracer rounds.

[eddiememphis]

... this feels like arson or idiocy by people in the woods.

I always lean towards stupid before evil. But I certainly could be wrong.

https://www.nps.gov/articles/wildfire-causes-and-evaluation.htm

Nearly 85 percent* of wildland fires in the United States are caused by humans. Human-caused fires result from campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, equipment use and malfunctions, negligently discarded cigarettes, and intentional acts of arson.

*Source: 2000-2017 data based on Wildland Fire Management Information (WFMI) and U.S. Forest Service Research Data Archive

Boulder Daily Camera writer Mitch Byars

https://twitter.com/mitchellbyars/status/1818862816033427913?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcam p%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

Today, even in these conditions and with multiple fires burning across the state, #Boulder County crews responded to a bon fire, trash burning, a campfire and fireworks. So no, these fires are probably not the work of one arsonist. Yes, there are that many stupid humans out there

[matttahoe53]

I always lean towards stupid before evil. But I certainly could be wrong.

https://www.nps.gov/articles/wildfire-causes-and-evaluation.htm

Nearly 85 percent* of wildland fires in the United States are caused by humans. Human-caused fires result from campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, equipment use and malfunctions, negligently discarded cigarettes, and intentional acts of arson.

*Source: 2000-2017 data based on Wildland Fire Management Information (WFMI) and U.S. Forest Service Research Data Archive

Boulder Daily Camera writer Mitch Byars

https://twitter.com/mitchellbyars/status/1818862816033427913?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcam p%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

Today, even in these conditions and with multiple fires burning across the state, #Boulder County crews responded to a bon fire, trash burning, a campfire and fireworks. So no, these fires are probably not the work of one arsonist. Yes, there are that many stupid humans out there

Agree, way more people without a clue cluttering up the wilderness.

[BushMasterBoy]

Now that we have Spacex, you would think we would have a satellite forest fire detection sysytem. But then again, I can't even get proper medical care from the VA. NASA has two astronauts stuck on the Space Station and the president has dementia.

And yet we can kill a terrorist remotely 7,000 miles away...


Sick bastards!

[eddiememphis]

Now that we have Spacex, you would think we would have a satellite forest fire detection sysytem.

https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#d:24hrs;@-105.10,40.41,11.02z

NASA's fire info source.

I doubt that would be any quicker alerting fire crews than the Karen network.

My dog farts and in 30 seconds there are six posts about gunshots on Nextdoor.

The response time on Monday's fire was very quick, being so close to town.

[Jer]

Speaking to the current status of these fires and some of the conversation about how they started:

Alexander Mountain Fire: This one is somewhere in the sub-8k acres range although we haven't got any official updates in a bit so it's probably north of that now. A bit of good news came in the form of positive sign that it was now 1% contained which is a step (albeit small) in the right direction. Things have moved away from the higher population density area of the East front of the fire near NW Loveland the last day or so. The front has largely gone West and a little North which is about a best case scenario aside from the thing just magically putting itself out. It's much less population & structures that way and pretty soon it will run up against the burn scars from the previous fires. It's also spread at a much lower rate than the first couple of days. The continued minimal amount of wind coupled with inching ever-closer to some forecasted precipitation on Monday has things looking more positive for us on the boundary of the evacuation zones. The previous claim was that no structures have been lost in this fire but I think reports are starting to surface of lost sheds, garages and possibly even homes. I think they're largely focusing resources on structures and evacuations and less about actually "fighting" the fire rather than coaxing it safer directions.

Stone Canyon Fire: This one has grown to about 1,500 acres and is estimated to be at about 20% containment. Early reports indicate that a human's remains was found in one of the five structures burned in this fire near where the suspected start of the fire. I'm not sure if that was where it actually originated and the person had anything to do with it but I'm sure we'll know more soon enough as investigations continue.

Lake Shore Fire: Yeah, there's now a 4th in close proximity to higher population front range cities. Last I saw this one was at 6 acres and 0% containment. It sounds like some are saying that someone was having fence work done and the contractors may have inadvertently started the fire.

Quarry Fire: It seems this is the smallest of the bunch fortunately at a few hundred acres so far and over 20% contained (possibly more as that figure was yesterday) thankfully. The reports stated that this one was originally reported by a JeffCo Sheriff Deputy on patrol. They said that when he first spotted it it was roughly 10ft x 10ft. If I play remote forensic expert on this one; since his patrol likely would have been on a highway and he came across it at such an early time in the burn this one wreaks of some bonehead flicking their cig out the window of a moving car. I hope I'm wrong and I know there are many other potentials but that's my guess on this one. It's also possible maybe he was a little bit further off of the beaten path which would lean more towards a possible camp fire or other similarly "outdoorsy" type contributors.

In the end, most wildfires are started by humans in one form or another. The fact there weren't any storms or reported lightning strikes in the area of any of these fires for many dry days leading up to them supports that they were most likely also not cause by mother nature. Hopefully the positive to come from this is reaffirming what we should all already know by now.

[.455_Hunter]

From my understanding, the Quarry fire started in an area with limited defined access- no established trails or roads nearby. However, given the name of the fire, I suspect there may be an overgrown access road that would be just right for some "camper" to utilize. We have experienced several fires over the years caused by "campers" under similar circumstances.

[kidicarus13]

Speaking to the current status of these fires

Quarry Fire: It seems this is the smallest of the bunch fortunately at a few hundred acres so far and over 20% contained (possibly more as that figure was yesterday) thankfully.

08/01/24 5:20PM update: 450 acres and 0% contained

[Jer]

341 acres and 0% contained97116

I think you're right. I think I was confusing the news reports with the Stone Canyon fire on containment #'s. It's confusing when the news outlets start combining all updates into one report the way they have begun doing.

[hollohas]

Fortunately Chatfield is right there and they have two bombers making drops every couple minutes. I was driving from Waterton to 470 this evening and saw them both pickup water twice in that time.

[BPTactical]

News report said that ?weird? items were found at suspected point of origin of the Quarry fire.

Weird

[rfenster]

That is odd that the media would use the term 'weird' to describe something important.

[BPTactical]

7 news confirmed arson as the cause on the Quarry fire this morning.
Shoot them.

[Jer]

7 news confirmed arson as the cause on the Quarry fire this morning.
Shoot them.

Confirmed? The latest I heard is it's being investigated as potential arson but I haven't yet heard confirmed.

[eddiememphis]

https://www.denver7.com/news/wildfire/quarry-fire-is-now-an-arson-investigation-jefferson-county-sheriffs-office-confirms-friday

Arson investigation

He clarified that the reason there is now an arson investigation underway is because the Jeffco sheriff's office believes the Quarry Fire is "human caused in some manner."

[.455_Hunter]

Similar to other rapidly unfolding events, accuracy in reporting is one of the early victims in an incident. The Quarry fire was first reported as being in an "isolated area with little access", implying low probability of human presence. Now we learn that the fire is "just off the [trail] switchbacks" (per Jeffco). Given the probable "nookies" of a century old abandoned quarry, that makes it highly probable of human origin compared to a latent smoldering from a lightening strike. You could have anything from a true accident, a vagrant with a "comfort fire", or a cult ritual with candles gone awry.

[BladesNBarrels]

...... we learn that the fire is "just off the [trail] switchbacks" (per Jeffco). Given the probable "nookies" of a century old abandoned quarry....

What Quarry is the Quarry Fire named for? I don't find one on Google Maps.

Thanks!

[kidicarus13]

What Quarry is the Quarry Fire named for? I don't find one on Google Maps.

Thanks!14883 W Deer Creek Canyon Rd, Littleton, CO 80127

It's close. Maybe?

[.455_Hunter]

What Quarry is the Quarry Fire named for? I don't find one on Google Maps.

Thanks!

I would guess you need to look on older USGS Topo maps. A lot of that info has been purged from more recent databases. I suspect it's similar to the various small sandstone quarries near Boulder last used nearly a century ago..

[.455_Hunter]

14883 W Deer Creek Canyon Rd, Littleton, CO 80127

It's close. Maybe?

That definitely could be it, as fire naming is a rather imprecise pastime. I was thinking about something closer to to initiation point, supposedly in heavier timber, but who knows.

[BladesNBarrels]

14883 W Deer Creek Canyon Rd, Littleton, CO 80127

It's close. Maybe?

Thanks, the map of that address looks like some activity attributed to Aggregate Industries.
Lockheed Martin is just over the ridge.
Seems like that location is where smoke is visible from Chatfield Reservoir.

[Aloha_Shooter]

News report said that ?weird? items were found at suspected point of origin of the Quarry fire.

Weird


That is odd that the media would use the term 'weird' to describe something important.

In today's media, that could just be "Trump 2024" paraphernalia.

[.455_Hunter]

In today's media, that could just be "Trump 2024" paraphernalia.

A significant percentage of people would expect that an arsonist would be a Trump supporter.