JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — Crews made progress Friday on a wildfire burning near Deer Creek Canyon road, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said at an afternoon briefing.
The Quarry Fire grew by 50 acres, to 480 acres, on Friday, but it grew into open space and away from homes. The sheriff's office said crews connected hand-dug containment lines to bulldozer lines and improved containment to 10%. The fire line on Deer Creek Canyon Road is holding.
> Watch the latest briefing on the fire at 8 a.m. on Saturday below:
People should not be concerned about a plume of smoke seen coming from the fire Friday afternoon, the sheriff's office said. The smoke was due to the fire burning back in on itself because of a change in wind direction and the public should not panic, officials said.
Two firefighters sustained sprained ankles in the past 24 hours. No structures have been damaged.
The Quarry Fire started Tuesday night in the area of Deer Creek Canyon Road just west of Grizzly Drive.
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.
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.
Weather conditions are expected to be more favorable on Saturday, with temperatures expected to top out at 89 degrees.
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. 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.
“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.”
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.
“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.