Pearl Fire near Red Feather Lakes estimated at 138 acres; believed to be human-caused

DENVER ( KDVR ) — The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office said fire personnel are responding to the Crystal Lakes area north and west of Red Feather Lakes for the Pearl Fire, which sparked Monday morning. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered.

As of 8:45 p.m., the fire is estimated to be 138 acres and 0% contained, according to the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office. According to the National Interagency Fire Center and the Larimer sheriff, the fire began on private property just after 11 a.m. The person involved has been contacted, the sheriff’s office stated, and the investigation is ongoing.

Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for the following areas:

• Crystal Lakes south of Black Mountain and north of Lake Erie
• Crystal Lakes north of Black Mountain to the state line
• The areas of CR86 and CR170

Residents in those areas have been ordered to evacuate immediately.

Voluntary evacuations were ordered for residents in the area of Lake Erie and Mitchell Ditch. People in these areas should gather essential items and prepare to evacuate. A total of 2,010 contacts (not homes or individuals) were notified in evacuation zones on Monday.

The Livermore Community Point evacuation point closed at 6:30 p.m. However, an overnight evacuation shelter at Cache La Poudre Middle School opened at 6:30 p.m.

A large animal evacuation center was also open at The Ranch, located at 5280 Arena Circle in Loveland. To coordinate bringing in animals overnight, call the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency number: 970-416-1985, to coordinate Small animals can be sheltered by NoCo Humane, which can be contacted at 970-226-3647.

Pre-evacuations have also been ordered for residents who live north of the Colorado-Wyoming border in Laramie County.

The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office has command of the fire but that will be turned over to the U.S. Forest Service on Tuesday at 6 a.m.

A total of 75 personnel were working on the fire on Monday, and more resources have been ordered. Air resources, including fixed-wing tankers and helicopters, dropped water and fire retardant on the blaze throughout the day.

“Larimer County is no stranger to wildfires. I’m grateful for the rapid response by our many regional partners working together seamlessly to protect this community,” said Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen in the late-night update . “Fire can create uncertainty, especially for those with homes or property in the evacuation zones. Our hearts are with you tonight.”

At about 5:30 p.m., Gov. Jared Polis issued a verbal declaration of disaster emergency to support the response to the fire. The declaration authorizes the Colorado Department of Public Safety, the Division of Homeland Security and Emergent Management and the Division of Fire Prevention and Control to assist in the response. It also authorizes the activation of the National Guard to assist with response and recovery if the Department of Public Safety deems it necessary.

Resident Kris Holcomb was among the over 2,000 contacts for evacuations. She lives up the road from the fire, and said she first saw the smoke while running errands in Red Feather Lake village. She said this isn’t the first time she’s experienced wildfires, but not like this.

“This is the closest it’s been. I’ve owned my property for 20 years, so this is very close. Living through the Cameron Peak fire, knowing how fast these fires can travel, I’m prepared not to come home,” Holcomb said.

Holcomb was able to rent a cabin outside the evacuation area for the next two nights, which she says will be covered by her insurance because of the mandatory evacuation order.

A hazardous weather outlook has been issued by the National Weather Service for the area, with wind gusts of up to 40 to 45 mph possible, alongside scattered showers and thunderstorms.

Pinpoint Weather Meteorologist Liz McGiffin said wind gusts are going to be a concern, with gusts looking to be in the 5 to 15 mph range Monday afternoon, with the occasional 20 mph gust possible.

McGiffin said wind gusts were forecasted to increase slightly later in the evening to the 10 to 20 mph range, with gusts of 30 to 35 mph possible.

The area, which is part of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, is under stage 1 fire restrictions, which means most fires are prohibited. Numerous agencies aided in the fire response.

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