Fourmile Canyon
Encyclopedia
This page is about the canyon west of the city of Boulder
that experienced a major wildfire in 2010. For the small stream located north of Boulder, see Fourmile Canyon Creek (north of Boulder, Colorado)
. For other uses of "Fourmile," see Fourmile (disambiguation).
Fourmile Canyon or Four Mile Canyon hosts a stream variously known as Fourmile Creek, Four Mile Creek, Fourmile Canyon Creek, or Four Mile Canyon Creek in Boulder County, Colorado
. The stream rises at 40.048 °N 105.550°W on the southern slope of Niwot Mountain, west of the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway. It flows east and south through the unincorporated communities of Sunset, Wallstreet, Salina, and Crisman
to the confluence with Boulder Creek
at 40.015 °N 105.324°W in Boulder Canyon, four miles west of the historic location of the Boulder Railroad Depot
.
, and was the entryway to the Switzerland Trail
tourist route that wound through the mountains between Nederland
and Ward. The Fourmile narrow gauge track was active from about the 1860s through the early 1900s.
, two aircraft tankers each with 2,000 gallons of fire retardant took off at 5:20 p.m. Winds eased in the late afternoon, making it possible for the airplanes to drop the retardant on the periphery of the fire zone in an attempt to contain the flames. Smoke was visible across the entire Front Range
northwest of Boulder.
Day Two — Tuesday, September 7, 2010: 200 firefighters from more than 35 agencies had responded. The fire was estimated to cover more than 7,135 acres (a threefold increase since the previous day) and remained zero percent contained. Colorado's governor, Bill Ritter, declared a state of emergency and dedicated $5 million to help the effort. More than 92 homes had been destroyed by the end of the second night. Nine of the destroyed homes belonged to firefighters who were fighting the fire. 3,500 people had been evacuated. An accident involving a propane tank was reported to have started the fire, but that was later determined to be a misinterpretation.
Day Three — Wednesday, September 8, 2010: Earlier in the day 20 people in the area were reported missing; by night fall the number had fallen to 5. The number of firefighters increased to 300. An approximate number of the area affected was realized, showing 6388 acres (25.9 km²). The number of homes destroyed went up to 150, officially making it the worst wildfire in Colorado history and was still zero percent contained.
Day Four — Thursday, September 9, 2010: number of firefighters grows to 430. All persons who were reported missing had been accounted for. The fire was reported 40% contained. At 10 a.m. some residents of the affected area were allowed to return to their homes, but were forced to move back out at 2 p.m. due to high winds, which could fuel the fire. The number of homes burned was at 169. The northwest section of the city of Boulder was put on standby to be evacuated.
Day Five — Friday, September 10, 2010: The fire was 6422 acres (26 km²) and 56% contained. 1,100 firefighters continued to fight the blaze.
Day Eleven — Thursday, September 16, 2010: 100% containment was achieved.
"The Boulder County Sheriff's Office has lifted evacuation orders on all subdivisions within the fire perimeter. The fire area is open to residents only. Utilities and public works continue to repair damage to infrastructure. Residents are reminded to use caution within the fire area due to the heavy fire and utility traffic in the fire area."
On this day the fire was declared "Inactive" by the incident commander, Jim Thomas. A total of 6,181 sq. acres (approximately 10 square miles) were burned. The reason for the decrease in acreage burned is a result of better GPS mapping of the fire.
Insurance claims for the fire totaled an estimated $217 million, making it the most expensive wildfire in Colorado history.
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
that experienced a major wildfire in 2010. For the small stream located north of Boulder, see Fourmile Canyon Creek (north of Boulder, Colorado)
Fourmile Canyon Creek (north of Boulder, Colorado)
Fourmile Canyon Creek or Four Mile Canyon Creek is located north of Boulder, Colorado and flows through the northern part of the city for part of its length. It should not be confused with a similarly-named stream that runs through Fourmile Canyon west of Boulder, which was the site of a major...
. For other uses of "Fourmile," see Fourmile (disambiguation).
Fourmile Canyon or Four Mile Canyon hosts a stream variously known as Fourmile Creek, Four Mile Creek, Fourmile Canyon Creek, or Four Mile Canyon Creek in Boulder County, Colorado
Boulder County, Colorado
Boulder County is the sixth most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county seat is Boulder. The most populous municipality in the county and the county seat is the City of Boulder...
. The stream rises at 40.048 °N 105.550°W on the southern slope of Niwot Mountain, west of the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway. It flows east and south through the unincorporated communities of Sunset, Wallstreet, Salina, and Crisman
Crisman, Colorado
Crisman is a census-designated place in Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The population as of the 2010 Census was 186.-Reference:...
to the confluence with Boulder Creek
Boulder Creek
Boulder Creek may be:*A community:**Boulder Creek, California*One of several streams:**Boulder Creek in Santa Cruz County**Boulder Creek in San Diego County**Boulder Creek **Boulder Creek...
at 40.015 °N 105.324°W in Boulder Canyon, four miles west of the historic location of the Boulder Railroad Depot
Boulder Railroad Depot
The Boulder Railroad Depot is a retired train depot in Boulder, Colorado. Originally built in 1890 in downtown Boulder to serve as a depot for the Union Pacific railroad, the depot was moved in 1973 to a location near the original Boulder County, Colorado Fairgrounds. The efforts of the Boulder...
.
Early History
Fourmile Canyon was the location of the first narrow-gauge railroad to connect Union Pacific's standard-gauge network to the mines and mountain communities near WardWard, Colorado
Ward is a Home Rule Municipality in Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The population was 150 at the 2010 census. The town is a former mining settlement founded in 1860 in the wake of the discovery of gold at nearby Gold Hill...
, and was the entryway to the Switzerland Trail
Switzerland Trail
The Switzerland Trail is a historic narrow-gauge railroad line that was operated at different times by the Greeley, Salt Lake and Pacific Railway, the Colorado and Northwestern Railroad, and the Denver, Boulder, and Western Railroad around the turn of the 20th century in the Colorado front range...
tourist route that wound through the mountains between Nederland
Nederland, Colorado
The Town of Nederland is a Statutory Town established in 1885 located near the Continental Divide and Barker Meadow Reservoir in the mountains of southwest Boulder County, Colorado....
and Ward. The Fourmile narrow gauge track was active from about the 1860s through the early 1900s.
Fourmile Canyon Fire
A wildfire started burning in the canyon forest at 10:00 a.m. Monday, September 6, 2010. Houses were destroyed and the fire was "out of control". Very low humidity and winds enabled 20 to 50 feet (15.2 m) high flames to spread quickly. Residents were evacuated and all roads into the fire zone were closed. At Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in BroomfieldBroomfield, Colorado
The City and County of Broomfield is a prominent suburb and tier of the Denver metropolitan area in the State of Colorado of the United States. Broomfield has a consolidated city and county government which operates under Article XX, Sections 10-13 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado. The...
, two aircraft tankers each with 2,000 gallons of fire retardant took off at 5:20 p.m. Winds eased in the late afternoon, making it possible for the airplanes to drop the retardant on the periphery of the fire zone in an attempt to contain the flames. Smoke was visible across the entire Front Range
Front Range
The Front Range is a mountain range of the Southern Rocky Mountains of North America located in the north-central portion of the U.S. State of Colorado and southeastern portion of the U.S. State of Wyoming. It is the first mountain range encountered moving west along the 40th parallel north across...
northwest of Boulder.
Day Two — Tuesday, September 7, 2010: 200 firefighters from more than 35 agencies had responded. The fire was estimated to cover more than 7,135 acres (a threefold increase since the previous day) and remained zero percent contained. Colorado's governor, Bill Ritter, declared a state of emergency and dedicated $5 million to help the effort. More than 92 homes had been destroyed by the end of the second night. Nine of the destroyed homes belonged to firefighters who were fighting the fire. 3,500 people had been evacuated. An accident involving a propane tank was reported to have started the fire, but that was later determined to be a misinterpretation.
Day Three — Wednesday, September 8, 2010: Earlier in the day 20 people in the area were reported missing; by night fall the number had fallen to 5. The number of firefighters increased to 300. An approximate number of the area affected was realized, showing 6388 acres (25.9 km²). The number of homes destroyed went up to 150, officially making it the worst wildfire in Colorado history and was still zero percent contained.
Day Four — Thursday, September 9, 2010: number of firefighters grows to 430. All persons who were reported missing had been accounted for. The fire was reported 40% contained. At 10 a.m. some residents of the affected area were allowed to return to their homes, but were forced to move back out at 2 p.m. due to high winds, which could fuel the fire. The number of homes burned was at 169. The northwest section of the city of Boulder was put on standby to be evacuated.
Day Five — Friday, September 10, 2010: The fire was 6422 acres (26 km²) and 56% contained. 1,100 firefighters continued to fight the blaze.
Day Eleven — Thursday, September 16, 2010: 100% containment was achieved.
"The Boulder County Sheriff's Office has lifted evacuation orders on all subdivisions within the fire perimeter. The fire area is open to residents only. Utilities and public works continue to repair damage to infrastructure. Residents are reminded to use caution within the fire area due to the heavy fire and utility traffic in the fire area."
On this day the fire was declared "Inactive" by the incident commander, Jim Thomas. A total of 6,181 sq. acres (approximately 10 square miles) were burned. The reason for the decrease in acreage burned is a result of better GPS mapping of the fire.
Insurance claims for the fire totaled an estimated $217 million, making it the most expensive wildfire in Colorado history.