This article is no longer being updated. Click here for the latest news on the state wildfires.
Updated at 4:32 p.m. on Aug. 1, 2024
The Stone Canyon fire is covering an estimated 1,553 acres — or roughly two-and-a-half square miles — near Lyons. The fire’s growth slowed Thursday and was 20 percent contained as of Thursday afternoon, according to the Boulder Office of Disaster Management.
- One person has died and at least five homes were destroyed by the Stone Canyon fire. Police have not identified the person killed, but they said the body was found in one of the homes that burned.
- Four firefighters were also injured Wednesday while working to contain the blaze. Officials said two firefighters were hurt due to "the environment" and not the fire itself. They have not provided details about how the other two were injured.
- The fire’s cause is still under investigation, Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson said. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is sending investigators to work with Boulder County officials.
- Authorities ordered evacuations for a wide region northeast of Lyons that extends from Ute Highway northeast to Devil’s Gulch and northwest to Carter Lake Reservoir. Some evacuation orders were lifted Thursday afternoon.
- Crews from about a dozen Colorado agencies have helped fight the fire, including air drops of water and fire retardant to help smother the flames. Crews expect fewer aircraft will be available for air drops on the Stone Canyon fire on Thursday because other fires in the region are still growing.
Evacuation information
- No evacuation centers have been set up for the Stone Canyon fires.
- Residents can take large animals to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds at 15200 W. 6th Ave. in Golden. For help with animal or livestock rescue or evacuation, fill out this form.
- Small animals can go to the Boulder Valley Humane Society at 2323 55th St. in Boulder or to the Longmont Humane Society at 9595 Nelson Rd. in Longmont.
- A call center (303-413-7730) is open for non-emergency questions and inquiries from community members impacted by the Stone Canyon fire.
- Boulder County residents can sign up to receive emergency alerts using this form.
About a dozen fire agencies from across the state have helped fight the fire. Crews have worked on the ground and called in air drops of water, slurry and fire retardant on Wednesday. Some of the aircraft were redirected from the firefighting effort happening at the Alexander Mountain fire 25 miles away.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Wednesday afternoon that federal funds will be provided to cover much of the firefighting cost at Stone Canyon and other wildfires burning in the northern Front Range.
The National Weather Service expects warm, dry conditions to continue Thursday, with elevated wildfire conditions in many areas. Skies across the northern Front Range will likely be hazy due to wildfire smoke, which prompted state health officials to issue an air quality alert for the region.
Flood, then fire in Lyons
Last week, Lyons hosted a bluegrass festival that musician and resident KC Groves described as a “family reunion with 4,000 of my best friends.”
After the high of that weekend, Groves evacuated on Tuesday with her husband and 91-year-old mother. Fleeing reminded Groves of the devastating 2013 floods that swept through the town, caking possessions in five feet of mud and leaving residents to dig out their homes.
The flood made the town more tight-knit, Groves said. “After the flood, we all had bumper stickers that said, ‘Lyons, we got grit.”’ Groves launched a relief fund after the floods to help musicians who’d lost property.
Lyons rebuilt after the flood and has been largely spared from the Stone Canyon fire so far. For Groves, the feeling of returning to her home Wednesday felt like “Christmas morning times 100,” even though she’s still worried about more wildfires igniting this summer.
“Everyone’s hearts are pretty heavy just knowing that five houses were lost and that someone died,” Groves said.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
