Posts tagged Left Hand Canyon

9:15 9/26 update: Elsha Kirbyl is a USAF fire fighter and lead public information Officer for the Maxwell Fire. We talked to her from the fire line tonight. Here is what she told us. The fire started with big plumes and started to run. Now it has settled down and the forest service is starting back fires. The fire is creeping back down to Left Hand canyon road and it is hoped it will burn into the area where the March fire was and burn out. 3 air tankers have bee suspended for the night. The fire is approximately 100 acres. There are 100 fire fighter on the line. There are more crews staged at Left Hand and Old stage just in case.

City Dispatchers told us The fire initially started at approximate 5:00 pm ( according to first calls to city of boulder Dispatch records)

Rick Brough Sheriffs Department Commander told us the fire started about 1/4 mile from the “off highway entrance to gun shooting and 4 wheeling, on the side of the road. “It could have been a spark or a cigarette but no cause has been determined” He said initially, some homes we mandated to evacuate when the fire started to run during high winds when it started. ” But now there is no mandatory evacuations except for 1.5 miles of Left Hand Canyon past old Stage road.

8:12 A reverse 911 call went out to 340 homes according to Boulder PD PIO Kim Kobel. The evacuations are not mandatory. The US forest service has taken over the fire.
With hope and no high winds tomorrow morning, we have escaped the bullet this time Boulder.

7:58 Colorado ORM reports in:
Maxwell Fire Info Sources – Boulder, CO
The Boulder County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) has been activated in response to a fire in Lefthand Canyon being referred to as the Maxwell Fire. Response information – including evacuation and shelter information – is being posted on Boulder’s Office of Emergency Management Emergency Information Page at http://boulderoem.com/emergency-status. Boulder OEM is also providing information via their Twitter feed (@boulderoem) at http://twitter.com/boulderoem, their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/BoulderOEM and via Boulder County’s Twitter feed (@bouldercounty) at http://twitter.com/bouldercounty.

Fire Fight/Suppression information for the Maxwell Fire is being posted on Inciweb at http://inciweb.org/incident/2384/

An evacuation center has been established by the Red Cross at the YMCA at 28th street in Boulder. Evacuees are encouraged to go to the evacuation center for information and assistance. Red Cross Shelter information is being posted at http://twitter.com/redcrossdenver

The Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center (@rmaccfireinfo) is also posting fire-related information at http://twitter.com/rmaccfireinfo as is the Arapahoe National Forest at http://twitter.com/usfsarp.

Boulder County also maintains a txt/email alert system – register for alerts online at https://ww2.everbridge.net/citizen/EverbridgeGateway.action?body=home&gis_alias_id=160781.

There are two hashtags currently being used on Twitter for fire-related information: #maxwellfire and #boulderfire. Search for fire info using the hashtags at

The Maxwell Fire is burning on National Forest System lands in the Lefthand Canyon area. An airtanker is working the fire and additional resources have been ordered.
7:47 6/26 from us forest service
Basic Information
Incident Type Wildfire
Cause Under Investigation
Date of Origin Sunday June 26th, 2011 approx. 05:00 PM
Location Lefthand Canyon Area of Roosevelt National Forest
Current Situation
Size 100 acres
Outlook
Planned Actions
Additional crews have been ordered and an air tanker is making drops.
6/26 7:30 p.m. – Maxwell Fire Road Closures
Roads closed to public traffic:
Left Hand Canyon at North Foothills Highway (local traffic allowed with I.D. to Old Stage Rd.)
James Canyon at Lefthand Canyon to Old Stage Rd
Old Stage at Lefthand Canyon to James Canyon

6/26 6 p.m. – Fire in Lefthand Canyon
Firefighters have responded to a fire near the 3.7 Mile Marker on U.S. Forest Service land. There is a mandatory evacuation for residents within a 1.5 mile radius of the 3.7 MM. The Emergency Operations Center is activated to help support firefighting efforts. Additional information will be posted here when details are available.

The “Maxwell Fire” began at approximately 5:39 p.m. this afternoon. Fire is estimated to be between 10 and 20 acres in size.

The Boulder