Updated at 9:30 a.m. Sunday: The wildfire burning near Boulder was fully contained Saturday night, fire officials said.
Fire crews stayed on scene overnight to monitor the burn area and extinguish any hot spots, but no active flames were visible, . Trails in the area remained closed.
Original story: A wildfire burning on 1.5 acres near Chautauqua Park southwest of Boulder was 75% contained as of Saturday evening, allowing fire officials to lift evacuation warnings for nearby cottages.
The Bluebell fire was first reported at 12:45 p.m. near Bluebell Canyon, Boulder Fire Rescue Chief Michael Calderazzo said at a briefing at New Vista High School.
Boulder County officials sent out an but it quickly became clear the fire was not going to spread very fast or into the city, Calderazzo said. The evacuation warning was lifted at 4:30 p.m.
Park rangers and firefighters evacuated hundreds of hikers from nearby , Calderazzo said. The closure includes trails in the Chautauqua, Green Mountain and Enchanted Mesa areas.
The fire had a “moderate rate of spread” and was moving away from Boulder, the city’s fire department said Saturday afternoon.
More than 100 firefighters from multiple agencies responded to the fire, along with a Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control helicopter that made seven bucket drops — each containing 560 gallons of water — on the fire, Calderazzo said. The aircraft was on standby Saturday in case fire crews needed further support.
“We expect the weather is pretty much going to cooperate with us for the remainder of the evening,” Calderazzo said.
No one reported any injuries and no structures were damaged or threatened, he said. The cause of the fire is unknown and will be investigated by the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.
Boulder County, along with most of Colorado, is classified as being in a drought under the . Extremely low moisture levels in nearby fuel sources such as grass, brush and trees adds to fire risk, Calderazzo said.
