Boulder blaze raises early fire season fears
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A firefighter works the Bluebell Fire on Saturday. Photo: Code 10 Photography
Boulder residents got a scare last weekend when a wildfire prompted evacuation warnings in the Chautauqua area before firefighters were able to take advantage of calm winds to extinguish the blaze.
Why it matters: The fire offered an early warning of what officials fear could become more common if Colorado's historically dry winter extends into spring and summer.
Catch up quick: The Bluebell Fire started Saturday afternoon near the Chautauqua cottages and burned about 1.5 acres.
- 141 residential structures and two commercial structures were given an evacuation warning, Boulder Fire-Rescue spokesperson Jamie Barker told us. The smoke was clearly visible in the city.
- Luckily, Boulder saw calm wind conditions during the fire window. Boulder County had been under a red flag warning due to increased fire danger just a day earlier, with gusts up to 40 mph.
The intrigue: The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but Barker said there were no lightning strikes in the area.
By the numbers: About 100 firefighters responded to the fire.
- The state also sent its new Firehawk helicopter, which made seven water drops, each about 560 gallons.
State of play: Despite being in the dead of winter, most of western Boulder County has been under Stage 1 fire restrictions since December.
- "Things have been dry, hot and windy, and whenever we come across that mix, it is everyone's job to avoid outdoor ignitions and stay vigilant," Barker said.
- Colorado is in the midst of a historically dry season, and it has been one of the warmest winters on record for Boulder.
- "Our snowpack is less than ideal presently, and the state of our fuels is concerning," Boulder County Sheriff's Office fire management officer Seth McKinney told us.
Yes, but: McKinney said that March and April are historically Colorado's wettest months, so it's difficult to say what fire conditions might look like in the summer.
- "I don't want to prematurely sound the alarm about fire season when things could still change," McKinney said. "The spring snow and rains could still bring us back to seasonal norms, or a strong monsoonal summer could also hit the brakes on fire season."