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The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said the wildfire near Deer Creek Canyon grew by roughly 30 acres overnight, but the containment efforts have seen progress.
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — There was minimal growth overnight for the wildfire burning near Deer Creek Canyon road, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday morning.
The Quarry Fire grew by around 30 acres in open space along the western side of the fire, but the sheriff’s office said they are holding the estimated size at 480 acres until they can get a more accurate measurement.
Containment remains at about 10%, though progress has been made and that percentage is expected to increase, the sheriff’s office said. Crews are reportedly mopping up some spots before they can announce any more containment.
The sheriff’s office said that as of Saturday morning, the fire still had not crossed Deer Creek Canyon Road and had remained within the previously established lines.
No structures have been lost in the fire, according to the sheriff’s office.
The heat remains the main safety issue for firefighters, the sheriff’s office said, and there have been some cases of heat exhaustion within the crews. Other safety issues being monitored include rattlesnakes and bears, which firefighters encountered Friday, per the sheriff’s office.
Hikers and cyclists are being asked to recreate away from the area of the fire, the sheriff’s office said, and officials also reminded people that flying drones over the fire is a hindrance to crews.
> Watch the latest briefing on the fire at 8 a.m. on Saturday below:
The sheriff’s office said people might see more smoke Saturday due to the work crews are doing in the west quadrant in open space, but that people should not be concerned about it.
A Jefferson County Emergency Operations Center spokesperson thanked residents for their overwhelming amount of donations and asked those who have not heard back from the office to remain patient as their team sorts through the list of donations.
Officials previously reported two firefighters sustained sprained ankles.
The sheriff’s office said the fire is believed to be human-caused, which prompted an arson investigation. They’re using an arson K9 provided by the state to help them determine the cause.
The sheriff’s office said Saturday that a video circulating on the Internet claiming to have captured the start of the Quarry Fire was actually taken around two hours after the first flames sparked. However, officials are asking people to send in any footage they believe will help their investigation.
Anyone with information about how the fire started is asked to call the sheriff’s office tip line at 303-271-5612.
Investigators determined the fire started on Deer Creek just above Grizzly Trail in the switchback area. A Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy on routine patrol first spotted the fire around 9 p.m. Tuesday, the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office is offering an interactive map on their website.
Quarry Fire evacuations
Residents of about 575 homes in five subdivisions remain under mandatory evacuation orders. Those areas include:
- Deer Creek Mesa
- Sampson
- Maxwell
- McKinney
- Murphy
Hilldale Pines, Oehlmann Park, Homestead South, Silver Ranch and Silver Ranch South subdivisions are under pre-evacuation notices. A pre-evacuation notice for the West Ranch neighborhood was added Thursday.
An evacuation center has been set up at Dakota Ridge High School at 13399 W. Coal Mine Ave. in Jefferson County. People who have evacuated their homes are asked to check in at the evacuation site, even if they are not staying there, to get information and resources.
Large animals can be taken to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds.
For communities under a mandatory evacuation order, Foothills Animal Shelter is providing shelter to pets for free. Pet owners within the evacuation order area should be prepared with animals’ medical records, required medications, and animal identification, if possible.
One couple said the fire was burning about a quarter-mile from their home. They were notified to evacuate by someone who came to their door around 1:15 a.m. Wednesday. At first, they thought it was a prank until someone returned to their door a few minutes later.
“The doorbell rang again. There was a flashlight in the window – it was the sheriff telling us we had to evacuate. There was a fire,” Doug Ideker said.
“I looked out the window and saw smoke, and I could smell it, so I felt a real sense of urgency. We didn’t really have time to prep anything,” his wife Terrie Ideker said.
They took both cars and headed over to the evacuation center.
“I grabbed my laptop and my phone and that was about it,” Doug Ideker said.
Quarry Fire firefighting operations
The terrain, hot weather and slim resources are proving a challenge for firefighters.
Techmeyer said firefighters were focused Thursday on making sure the wildfire didn’t cross Deer Creek Canyon Road, while keeping it as far from homes as possible. As of Saturday morning, the fire still hadn’t crossed the road.
“This fire is not an easy fight,” Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Mark Techmeyer said Wednesday. “The terrain is treacherous; it is very steep.”
“If we lose control of that fire and it jumps over to the north side that would be our nightmare,” Techmeyer said.
A San Juan Interagency Hotshot crew of 20 firefighters has joined efforts to help provide a “direct attack” on the fire.
Techmeyer said every neighborhood is at risk and that there is no neighborhood in more immediate danger than the others.
“If you are concerned, if you see heavy thick smoke, if you see flames, you need to go,” Techmeyer said Wednesday.
He described the open space area where the fire is burning as very mountainous, full of scrub brush and difficult to navigate on foot. Crews are also dealing with the danger of rattlesnakes in the terrain.
Quarry Fire closures
The following road closures are in place due to the fire.
- South Valley Road, south of Ken Caryl Ranch
- Deer Creek Canyon Road and South Cougar Road
- Deer Creek Canyon Road at West Ranch Trail
- Pleasant Park Road and Kuester Road
Deer Creek Canyon Park, South Valley Park and Hildebrand Ranch Park are all closed for fire operations. Chatfield Reservoir is closed to boating only, but swimmers and paddleboarders are being kept 10 to 15 feet from shore, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
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