The cost of the fire that burned in Boulder’s Sunshine Canyon area two weeks ago is anticipated to exceed an estimated $730,000, according to Boulder Country Fire Management Officer Jay Stalnacker.
Stalnacker said this number isn’t exact because it doesn’t account for costs including overtime for firefighters and police officers.
The fire started in the early hours of March 19 to the west of Pearl Street Mall in Sunshine Canyon and burned 74 acres, according to the Daily Camera. It prompted the evacuation of hundreds of homes but ultimately did not cause any property damage, and was officially extinguished on March 31.
Stalnacker said the fire was determined to be human-caused and that an investigation is undergoing to determine its exact source. The Denver Post reported the fire appeared to be caused by a transient camp in the woods of the canyon. The area is frequently inhabited by Boulder’s homeless population because Boulder city law prohibits people from sleeping on public property using any kind of shelter. Shelter is defined as any structure, including sleeping bags and tarps.
Stalnacker also said that people sleeping in the woods is definitely a fire risk and said it was a twofold issue. First, the canyon is unincorporated land and is not patrolled regularly by firefighters, and second, it’s difficult to educate the homeless population about fire safety.
Scott Medina, volunteer coordinator at Bridge House, a day shelter for the homeless, said the city needs more year-round housing for the homeless and more resources like job training. He said there are a good number of places for the homeless to stay during the winter months, but once those close during warmer weather, there are fewer options and people head into the woods.
“You can’t tell people ‘well, you can’t camp here,’ and yet not give any indoor options either,” Medina said.
Stalnacker said the weather conditions were not atypical for March but that they were slightly more extreme than usual, since there was no snow in Boulder during the entire month. The department had been preparing for the fire, and Stalnacker said it was not unexpected because there had been a series of smaller local fires in previous months.
Stalnacker said it is a misconception that fires only occur in the summer and fall.
“The fire season is year-round here in the Front Range,” he said.
He said the department is preparing for the possibility that there will be more fires later in the season. He said the recent snowstorm was a “drop in the bucket” compared to the moisture the region needs, and that if the dry conditions continue, Boulder could be “heading for a very interesting and challenging fire season.”
Contact CU Independent Copy Editor Carina Julig at carina.julig@colorado.edu.
