CalWood, Lefthand Canyon Wildfires In Boulder County: Update

BOULDER COUNTY, CO — Evacuation orders remain in place as the CalWood and Lefthand Canyon Wildfires continue to burn in Boulder County.

The Calwood Fire, which is burning around 3 miles north of Jamestown, saw "no measurable growth" Sunday night into Monday morning, fire officials said. The wildfire remained at 8,788 acres Monday evening and 15 percent containment. Nearly 250 people are fighting the Calwood Fire.

The Lefthand Canyon fire, just east of Ward, remained around 320 acres and 4 percent containment as of Monday evening, fire officials said.

A regional incident management team Rocky Mountain Black took over command of both wildfires Monday morning.

Lower temperatures and higher humidity Sunday night and Monday morning helped hinder the growth of both fires, according to Rocky Mountain Black Operations Section Chief Patrick Pearson. One of the objectives for fire crews is to keep the Calwood fire south of Highway 7, Pearson said.

Crews used over $1 million in fire retardant — 24 loads — to fight the Lefthand Canyon Fire, Pearson said.

"A lot of good work [Sunday] and it did have a really good effect," he said.

Highway 36 opened to traffic Monday afternoon from North Broadway to Neva Road, according to the Boulder Office of Emergency Management.

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A preliminary list shows at least 26 buildings were burned in the CalWood Fire.

The causes of both wildfires remain under investigation.

The Calwood Fire is the largest wildfire in Boulder County's history. The Fourmile Fire, which burned 6,181 acres, destroyed 165 homes in 2010.

Fire officials have set up a Facebook page for both wildfires to update residents. The Boulder Office of Emergency Management is also offering live updates on its Twitter page.

Those who want to receive text message alerts about the wildfires can sign up here. A call center for the wildfires has been set up from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. — the number is 303-413-7730.