Good Wednesday morning, Boulder. Today’s BRL Today is sponsored by The Institute of Behavioral Science at CU Boulder. Join Dr. Lori Peek for “Beyond Vulnerable Victims: How Kids Help During Disasters” on April 22. Free and open to the public.
Breaking this morning: The Goat Trail fire, which was burning just under 2 acres, is now 75% contained, and all evacuation warnings have been lifted. Some residents had received door-to-door evacuation notices. We’ll continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
A quick note: Tomorrow is Local News Day, and we’re kicking off our “Forever Newsroom” campaign to help keep BRL here for the long haul. You may hear from us a bit more in the coming days. This work depends on readers like you, and our goal is 1,000 monthly supporters.
Thanks for being here.
More news …
Leading today: The fight over Boulder’s National Center for Atmospheric Research is now in federal court. UCAR, the nonprofit that runs NCAR, is asking a judge to halt the Trump administration’s breakup plan, starting with the transfer of a Wyoming supercomputing center. It warns the move could cost jobs and weaken forecasting nationwide. Brooke Stephenson reports.
Also today: New details from an arrest affidavit outline how prosecutors say a Boulder dance studio owner staged a 2023 break-in to collect nearly $500,000 in insurance payouts. Investigators allege Cindy Burdine hired young men to pose as burglars and submitted altered records. Stephenson reports.
From Local History: A new wildfire mitigation project west of Boulder is shedding light on a 1910 hydroelectric system built by immigrant laborers and still shaping the landscape today. .
More, Below the Fold:
- BoulderCAST: Continued fire danger today, better rain chances late week.
- Camping ban: Appeals court hears challenge, ruling timeline unclear.
- Caribou Village: Fire cleanup begins, with a six-week timeline.
- Dark Horse: Auction opens Thursday, memorabilia up for grabs.
Thanks, as always, for reading,
– The BRL team
Join us for a public lecture at the Institute of Behavioral Science with Dr. Lori Peek. Beyond Vulnerable Victims: How Kids Help During Disasters explores how children contribute to disaster preparedness, response and recovery. Drawing on research from Hurricane Katrina and COVID-19, this talk challenges assumptions and highlights how youth help build more resilient communities. April 22, 6-7 p.m., 1440 15th St., Boulder (Room 155). Free and open to the public; RSVP required.
Goat Trail wildfire in Boulder prompts evacuation warning in North Boulder
The fire is now 75% contained, and all evacuation warnings have been lifted as of 8 a.m., though crews continue working on an active scene. Continue reading…
Boulder-based UCAR asks court to halt Trump administration’s breakup of NCAR while lawsuit proceeds
UCAR warns transferring a Wyoming supercomputing center could disrupt forecasts and cost jobs while the case proceeds. Continue reading…
Staged break-in, hired burglars: Affidavit details $500K fraud scheme by Boulder dance studio owner
Records from the Attorney General’s Office allege Cindy Burdine received more than $500,000 in fraudulent insurance payouts after hiring young men to stage a break-in at her studio. Continue reading…
Wildfire project reveals hidden history of Boulder’s 100-year-old hydro system
Tree removal along a fuel reduction corridor on Tram Hill overlaps a key piece of Boulder’s early hydroelectric system, built in 1910. Continue reading…
Near-critical fire danger today, rain chances increase late-week
Today’s forecast hinges on exactly where a cold frontal boundary stalls across northeast Colorado. Most models keep it north and east of Denver, which would leave Boulder exposed to very dry west‑northwest winds for part of the day. But we’ve seen these types of fronts sink farther south and west in recent weeks, which has spared us from higher fire danger at times. Thus, there is some uncertainty today. Overall, expect at least a few hours of near‑critical fire weather this afternoon with gusts over 20 mph and humidity dipping below 15%.
Highs will reach 73 degrees before the front fully pushes through this evening. A few weak afternoon showers may pop up, but they’ll mostly produce brief gusty outflow winds and little to no actual rain.
Tomorrow will remain warm, with a new cold front bringing widely scattered showers and a low chance of thunder late in the day. Rain chances increase Friday into the weekend as subtropical moisture moves into Colorado, with the best storm coverage likely over the mountains. Given the mild airmass, snowflakes will be confined to only the highest peaks.
Is Boulder’s camping ban constitutional? Colorado appeals court hears arguments
A three-judge panel heard oral arguments Tuesday in a lawsuit seeking to halt enforcement of Boulder’s camping ban, with judges pressing both sides on how to interpret the state constitution and whether the city’s ordinance targets conduct or the status of being homeless.
The ACLU of Colorado filed the lawsuit in 2022 on behalf of several homeless people, arguing that ticketing people for sleeping outside with as little as a blanket amounts to cruel and unusual punishment when no shelter is available. A Boulder County District Court decision upheld the ban in 2025, relying heavily on the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Grants Pass v. Johnson, which found a similar Oregon ordinance did not violate the Eighth Amendment.
During oral arguments this week, plaintiffs argued the Colorado Constitution should be read more broadly than the federal version, given the state’s history and geography. The city countered that the Colorado Supreme Court has signaled it does not interpret those protections differently.
The judges appeared skeptical of both positions at times. No timeline has been set for an opinion from the court. Read more on BRL.
Caribou Village fire debris cleanup set to begin this week
Crews are set to begin cleaning up debris from the October 2025 Caribou Village fire, which destroyed roughly 20 businesses and leveled a key hub of the Nederland community, according to Tebo Properties.
Bill Rigler, a spokesperson for the building owner, Tebo Properties, said the cleanup is expected to take about six weeks, starting with the parking lot before moving to structural debris. The cleanup work follows the approval of a site stabilization plan by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and asbestos testing at the site.
Rigler said tenants may identify personal belongings that workers will attempt to recover. The cost of the cleanup is not being disclosed, he said. Owner Stephen Tebo plans to rebuild but declined to comment on any insurance payout. The cause of the fire has not been determined.
Want a piece of the Dark Horse? Bidding begins Thursday.
Boulder’s Dark Horse closed its doors on March 14, but fans can still bring home a piece of the 51-year-old establishment. An online auction will launch Thursday, April 9, the bar and grill announced on social media. Items for bid include carriages, large statues and antique pieces. Many items are being saved and stored, and will not be for sale.
Since closing day, staff have been disassembling and sorting through the memorabilia that lined its walls. Auction proceeds will go toward severance pay for employees. Read more on BRL.
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