This is a developing story. It was last updated at 12:40 p.m. on Oct. 6.
The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office has issued evacuation warnings in Boulder County between Allenspark and Hall Ranch due to a vegetation fire near the Dry St. Vrain Creek Trail.
Known as the Dry Creek Fire, it is around 6 acres, according to the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests. The fire was first reported at around 8 a.m. on Tuesday. Hand crews are establishing direct hand lines and slowing the fire’s forward progress, according to the Forest Service. Aircraft are working along the active fire edge where containment lines have not yet been established, making targeted retardant and water drops.
Earlier Tuesday, Incident Command reported that the fire had two flanks and that hand crews had anchored at the head of the fire, with no additional fire progression there. A Type 1 and Type 2 helicopter were also on scene, according to Watch Duty’s flight tracker. Two single-engine air tankers were en route as of 10:27 a.m.
The first evacuation warning was issued at 9:12 a.m., east of Allenspark, on U.S. Forest Service lands between South Sheep Mountain and Coffin Top Mountain. At 10:18 a.m., the warning area was expanded east to Hall Ranch, just west of Lyons.
An evacuation warning is more serious than an advisory but less urgent than an evacuation order. People in the area are encouraged to prepare to evacuate by gathering necessary items and arranging transportation. Residents who have mobility issues, need to evacuate with large animals, or otherwise need more time to evacuate are encouraged to leave immediately.
The fire comes just after one of the hottest October days in the Denver metro area, according to BoulderCAST. Temperatures in Boulder reached 90, while Jamestown reached 79 and Allenspark 71. The record for Boulder’s latest 90-degree day was Oct. 5, set in 1947.
Firefighters, already dealing with burnout, have begun gearing up for another wave of fire activity as winds typically pick up during the fall. The lack of snow cover can compound fire risk as winds strengthen. Summer monsoon rains increased cloud cover and humidity, helping ease wildfire conditions.
The Town of Lyons previously had to evacuate during the Stone Canyon Fire in the summer of 2024, which burned around 1,550 acres, destroyed five homes and killed one person.
