The Quarry fire is covering an estimated 341 acres — or roughly half a square mile — in southern Jefferson County. It was not contained as of Thursday morning, but Mark Techmeyer with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said the fire did not grow much overnight.
The top priority is preventing the fire from jumping Deer Creek Canyon, Techmeyer said at a press briefing Thursday.
"That cannot happen," he said.
- The Quarry fire threatened homes, but no injuries or major damage has been reported. Five firefighters were injured Wednesday. One had a seizure and four others suffered heat exhaustion, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said.
- Investigators are still probing the cause of the fire, which was first reported by a deputy on patrol.
- Nearly 600 homes across five subdivisions have been evacuated, including Deer Creek, Mesa, Sampson, Maxwell, McKinney and Murphy
- On Thursday, Techmeyer said residents in the Hilldale Pines, Oehlmann Park, Silver Ranch and Silver Ranch South neighborhoods should be prepared to evacuate if the fire spreads.
- About 75 firefighters worked to control the fire Wednesday across steep, rocky terrain, the Sheriff’s Office said. Crews fought the fire on the ground and called in air drops from aircraft, but authorities said resources were limited due to the other fires burning across the northern Front Range.
Evacuation information
- An evacuation center has been set up at Dakota Ridge High School at 13399 W. Coal Mine Ave. in Littleton.
- Residents can take large animals to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds at 15200 W. 6th Ave. in Golden.
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.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
