Deer Creek Fire: 100 Percent Contained, Blaze Believed To Be Human-Caused




Update: 5:30 p.m. , August 16
Officials said the fire is 100 percent contained and evacuations have been lifted. Firefighters are continuing to work on hotspots.
Deer Creek Canyon Park, Hildebrand Ranch and South Valley parks remain closed, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Mike Taplin, a spokesman for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, said at a news conference Friday that officials think the fire was human-caused.
Taplin said witnesses heard an explosion and saw smoke before two boys were seen running away from the area.
The fire burned about 20-25 acres. No homes were lost and nobody was injured.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Update, 9:53 a.m., August 16: Officials said at a briefing this morning that up to 25 acres have burned and that crews are working to put out hotspots.
Evergreen Fire Department spokesperson Stacee Martin said firefighters are hoping for help from the weather.
"We're hoping mother nature will help us, maybe bring us some rain, but we don't want the winds that come with it," she said. "But we're hopeful with some humidity — it's not supposed to be as hot today — that will help us out."
Update, 7:57 a.m., August 16: Jefferson County officials say the fire is 50 percent contained.
Update, 6:07 a.m., August 16: Officials say no homes have been damaged and that the fire has burned fewer than 15 acres. Rough terrain has hampered efforts to fight the fire, and more than 110 firefighters were working to extinguish the blaze Thursday. Jefferson County officials said work on the fire will continue Friday morning.
Smoke visible to the west of Denver is rising from a small wildfire in Jefferson County.
The Jeffco Sheriff's Office tweeted on Thursday afternoon that they were responding to the fire near Deer Creek Park with firefighters.
We are working with firefighters to evacuate citizens & put out a fire near the mouth of Deer Creek Park near Grizzly and Bear Claw Drives. Fire is currently 200 by 200 feet. Call came in around 4:45 p.m. & a chopper is en route. Please avoid the area! #jeffco pic.twitter.com/xFmJ846S2P
— Jeffco Sheriff (@jeffcosheriffco) August 15, 2019
Nearly 300 homes in the neighborhood and the park were evacuated Thursday evening. The evacuation center is at Chatfield High School at 7227 South Simms Street in Littleton.
The CodeRed for the #DeerkCreekCanyonParkFire was sent to 284 houses. The neighborhood to the east is being evacuated as well as the park. The evacuation center is at Chatfield High School. Please avoid the area while firefighters are fighting an active scene #jeffco pic.twitter.com/KctyKw63dj
— Jeffco Sheriff (@jeffcosheriffco) August 15, 2019
West Metro Fire Rescue has two engines and several firefighters at the scene.
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