Flagstaff Mountain Fire May Have Been 'Human-Caused': Officials

BOULDER COUNTY, CO — Crews were called to battle a wildfire that broke out Sunday west of Boulder. The fire may have been caused by people, according to the Boulder County Sheriff's Office.

A Boulder resident called 911 at 12:20 a.m. after seeing flames near Panorama Point, officials said. Firefighters were called to the 1,000 block of Flagstaff Mountain Road, where they saw flames that reached up to 20 feet tall.

The fire had grown to around half an acre, officials said. Crews battled the flames from above to stop them from spreading uphill.

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By 4:30 a.m., the fire was declared fully contained and firefighters began cleaning up the remnants.

Stage 2 fire restrictions were instituted Friday for western Boulder County, and the fire danger continues to be high, officials said. A list of what the fire ban prohibits can be found here.

Anyone found in violation of the fire ban may be convicted of a class two petty offense and may receive up to a $1,000 fine, in addition to any possible civil penalties, including potential costs of fighting a fire they cause.