Posts tagged fire
Left Hand Canyon Fire Maxwell Fire Boulder
Jun 26th
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
Forestry project at Heil Valley Ranch begins Monday
Jun 17th
Boulder County, Colo. – The Boulder County Parks and Open Space Department has hired a local contractor to mechanically treat approximately 150 acres of ponderosa pine forest in Heil Valley Ranch beginning on Monday, June 20.
The thinning project will conclude in September. Park visitors will likely hear the operations along the Ponderosa Loop Trail during the next three months and are strongly advised to stay on-trail for personal safety and that of the equipment operators.
“Like so many ponderosa pine forests, this area is unnaturally dense due to years of fire suppression,” Parks and Open Space Outreach Coordinator Pascale Fried said. “This project will create a mosaic of openings and uneven-aged groupings of trees. The goal is to have a healthier forest that is less susceptible to insects, disease and catastrophic wildfires.”
The treatment utilizes a harvester that fells, delimbs and bucks trees into standard log lengths, and a forwarder to haul wood material away from the site. The logs will be used in biomass plants that heat the county Parks and Open Space and Sheriff’s Office buildings.
Smaller wood material, including branches and small trees, will initially be used as a road base for equipment to prevent erosion, then piled and burned in the next few years as conditions permit.
For additional information, contact Forest Specialist Nick Stremel at 303-678-6290 or nstremel@bouldercounty.org.
Grant to allow Youth Corps to hire 12 for land stewardship
Jun 16th
Boulder County, Colo. – The Boulder County Youth Corps will hire 12 additional people next summer thanks to funding approved on Wednesday by Great Outdoors Colorado.
The GOCO board voted to disperse $500,000 in lottery funds statewide to local government and open space organizations for critical outdoor recreation and land conservation projects that will enhance Colorado’s trails, parks, open spaces and wildlife habitat. The BCYC will receive $20,093 of those funds for local projects in support of the City of Longmont’s Button Rock Preserve Watershed.
The funding results in 12 jobs for young people in Longmont to help with much needed forestry work, noxious weed removal and fire prevention activities at Button Rock Preserve.
Statewide, local governments will receive a total of $250,000 and open space organizations will receive $250,000 to hire youth corps to implement land stewardship projects.
“This is good news for our youth, who gain valuable transferable skills and get a great outdoors experience,” BCYC program manager Judy Wolfe said. “And it’s good news for our community and environment, which can reap the benefits of our young people’s dedication and hard work for generations to come.”
About Boulder County Youth Corps
The BCYC provides opportunities for Boulder County youth to develop a sense of community involvement through personal accomplishment, teamwork and service to the County. BCYC delivers the most ambitious and highest quality entry-level work experience available to Boulder County youth. It provides an experience of excellence by recruiting and training a staff committed to accomplishment through hard work, respect for people and the environment, and belief in an ideal that work can be fun. We ensure the betterment of our community by providing work opportunities for youth that contribute to the legacy of Boulder County while providing a proving ground for young leaders that challenges them to inspire the youth entrusted to their guidance. More information is available at www.bouldercounty.org/youthcorps.
About Colorado Youth Corps Association
The CYCA is a statewide coalition of 10 accredited youth conservation corps that employ and train youth and young adults on land, water and energy conservation projects. Youth corps is a proven strategy for engaging young people in service to their communities and stewardship of their environment while cultivating valuable skills to meet the challenges of the 21st century. For more information about CYCA or the statewide youth corps coalition, visit www.CYCA.org.
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