Cold Springs Wildfire

Around 13:30 on July 9th, 2016 Nederland Fire Protection District was called to a vegetation fire southeast of the Hwy. 72 (Peak to Peak Hwy) & Cold Springs Rd. At the same time Clear Creek County & Gilpin County crews were battling a vegetation fire off oh Hwy. 119. Nederland firefighters arrived to a large fire burning, quickly escalated and requested a helicopter, followed by a SEAT and Heavy Air Tanker. Multiple engine orders were made and evacuations took place in the area of Ridge Rd. By mid afternoon reported structures were burning and a request for a Type III incident management team escalated to a Type II. Mutual-aid engines from across the Denver metro area responded in the evening and into the next day on July 10th, 2016, when command was transferred to the Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team 2. The wind driven fire was attacked by ground and air, including bucket drops from helicopters, getting water from the Barker Reservoir. SEAT’s and Heavy Air Tankers filled up at the Jeffco Air Tanker Base at the Rocky Mountain Airport in Broomfield. Colorado National Guard also sent over 50 soldiers & airman to provide wildland firefighting and security including two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, one CH-47 Chinooko helicopter, both equipped with Bambi Buckets. Mandatory evacuation orders were in place for many areas with more than 2,000 residents, and all residents east of the Peak to Peak Hwy. & Ridge Rd. including the areas of Aspen Meadows, Cold Springs, Boulder Canyon west of Magnolia, Whispering Pines, St. Anton, Sky View, Sherwood, Bonanza Mountain & Silver Springs. Around one thousand homes were directly threatened, with eight homes lost. The fire burned 528 acres, and reported to be caused by a campfire on private property that had not been properly extinguished.