This is a developing story and was last updated at 6:30 p.m.
Wildfire crews are responding to a vegetation fire near Boulder at Heil Valley Ranch, where visitors were evacuated from park and trailhead areas.
The blaze, being referred to as the Heil Fire, is burning near Geer Canyon Drive in the Heil Valley Ranch area.
Initial reports from emergency radio traffic estimated the fire at about 30 by 30 feet in size. It later grew to roughly two acres as crews responded.
The Left Hand Fire Protection District said in an evening update that the Heil Fire is now mapping at about 7.6 acres.
Fire officials said the fire is burning in steep terrain with a large number of downed trees, making access difficult for firefighters. Those downed trees may continue producing smoke and occasional flames until crews are able to safely reach the entire area.
As nightfall approaches, firefighters will continue working to secure the fire and plan to safely continue operations in the morning, according to the district. Multiple agencies are assisting with containment and extinguishment efforts.
Officials are asking the public to avoid the area around Lefthand Canyon Drive and Geer Canyon Road while crews continue to respond.
Vinnie Montez, a public information officer with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, said around 3:45 p.m. that first responders were either on scene or actively responding to the fire in the Heil Valley Ranch area. He urged residents not to call 911 to report the fire.
“Please stay out of the area and let first responders and fire personnel deal with this wildland fire,” Montez said in a recorded update.
The fire is within the burn scar of the 2020 CalWood Fire, which burned more than 10,000 acres in the foothills northwest of Boulder.
Photos shared by the Left Hand Fire Protection District show a Firehawk helicopter from the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control assisting with water drops, along with resources staged at the Picture Rock Trailhead.
This is a developing situation. Boulder Reporting Lab will update as more information becomes available.
