A man digging moving large rocks for a Colorado Department of Transportation erosion control project apparently sparked the Beulah Hill fire which has burned more than 5,000 acres and devoured 14 homes and outbuildings.
The worker, whose name has not been released, was using heavy equipment to dig in a rocky area Monday afternoon when officials believe sparks ignited the wild fire. High winds quickly spread the fire, said Michael Davis, a volunteer firefighter from the Elk Creek Fire Department who is acting as spokesman for firefighting efforts.
“The man tried to extinguish the fire and when he couldn’t he immediately called emergency,” Davis said.
Determining the cause of the fire is still preliminary but investigators have eliminated all other possible causes, he said.
Meanwhile, firefighters have achieved 50 percent containment on the wildfire, Davis said.
“They are making really good progress in containment,” Davis said.
Residents with homes in Twin Butte and Mountain Shadows Estates have been , but the majority of the 1,950 people evacuated from Beulah Valley have not been allowed to go home. It’s unclear when other residents will be allowed to return home.
The areas of containment are mostly in brush and grass, Davis said. Flames continue to burn in forested area on slopes west of town.
“The areas where the fire is most active is in heavy timber,” he said.
Two planes are dropping fire retardant on the wildfire and two helicopters are using buckets to load water and dump it in hot spots, Davis said.
Workers are using bulldozers to improve a road to give fire tanker trucks better access to the fires, Davis said. Three hand crews with each are extending a fire line 18 inches wide around the fire where possible. In some areas, firefighters are burning grass ahead of the flames to deny fuel to the wild fire, he said.
Cooler temperatures and lighter winds have helped firefighting efforts, Davis said. But unlike the Denver metro area, no rain has fallen on the burn area
“We’re hoping we’ll get some precipitation,” Davis said.
With 300 firefighters and about 100 ancillary workers including deputies on the fire there have been no injuries so far, he said.
“The firefighters are working in some pretty tough terrain and to not have anybody hurt, that’s a pretty good record,” Davis said.
He said 450 people attended a town meeting Wednesday night, he added.
“The support from the local community has been overwhelming,” Davis said.