The Quarry fire was likely human-caused and is being investigated as an arson, Kevin Bost, the investigations division chief with the Jefferson County Sheriff, said Friday. The fire has burned less than a square mile of land in Jefferson County west of Chatfield State Park.
- Colorado's new team of state wildfire investigators is using a specially trained dog that can sniff out if an accelerant was used to start the fire.
- Investigators determined the fire began on Deer Creek “just above Grizzly in those switchback areas,” along a trail, Bost said. The fire is still uncontained and grew in open space land.
- Nearly 600 homes across five subdivisions have been evacuated, including Deer Creek, Mesa, Sampson, Maxwell, McKinney and Murphy
- On Thursday, Mark Techmeyer with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said residents in the Hilldale Pines, Oehlmann Park, West Ranch, Silver Ranch and Silver Ranch South neighborhoods should be prepared to evacuate if the fire spreads.
Heavy smoke on the northern Front Range from the Quarry, Stone Canyon and Alexander Mountain fires is expected Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Places south of metro Denver may also experience heavy smoke. State health authorities have issued an air quality alert for much of the region.
Evacuation locations:
- 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.
Firefighters face a challenging fight
"This is one of the most densely populated and it has proven to be absolutely one of the most challenging fire fight I've seen in my 15 to 20 years," Techmeyer said. "It is steep and treacherous."
He added that air drops of fire retardant and water won't be enough to put the fire out.
"Boots on the ground are going to win this fight," Techmeyer said.
The number of firefighters working on the blaze doubled Thursday with more than 155 firefighters wrestling steep, rocky terrain.
Planes and helicopters dropped water and fire retardant Thursday afternoon. Techmeyer said resources are crucial, especially since multiple wildfires are burning across the state.
"We request (them) for the following day for the efforts we want to do and then there's strategy and comparison, and then the powers that be decide they get a couple (of) helicopters, that gets a tanker, that type of thing."
This is a developing story and will be updated.
