Lakeshore Fire in Colorado foothills near Gross Reservoir was human-caused accident, at least 1 home destroyed

A new wildfire started on Wednesday afternoon north of Gross Reservoir, and there were mandatory evacuations in place. It was named the Lakeshore Fire, and it was located in the Colorado foothills southwest of Boulder. 

Mountain View Fire Rescue was the first agency on scene when it started around 2:30 p.m. and led the response to the fire. In an evening press conference with Mountain View and Boulder County Sheriff's Office, the fire was burning 5 to 6 acres, and two structures had been impacted. 

The Boulder County sheriff said this fire was human-caused, but appeared to be accidental. Two people involved are being spoken to, who were believed to be working on a property when the fire happened. No arrests have been made. 

The fire was not considered to be contained, officials confirmed during the press conference. The sheriff hoped crews could knock the fire down before end of day.  

The CBS Colorado helicopter captured images of visible destruction to at least one home during the response, as an air tanker made retardant drops on the flames. The sheriff could not confirm what the second impacted structure was. There were no reported injuries in this fire. 

Any evacuee seeking refuge was directed to 1333 Iris Avenue in north Boulder.   

Flagstaff Road was shut down beginning in the city of Boulder all the way into Lake Shore Park neighborhood. It then continues into the stretch that becomes Lakeshore Drive, also extending into the stretch that becomes County Road 68. Gross Dam Road was shut down starting at Lakeshore Drive extending south to Crescent Village.

Boulder County Sheriff's Office confirmed this fire was active north of the reservoir, and resources were being allocated, as hundreds of firefighters and law enforcement officers have already been responding to numerous other active wildfires on Colorado's Front Range.

According to Boulder Disaster Management, Lake Shore Park neighborhood was in the mandatory evacuation zone. This neighborhood is situated northeast of Gross Reservoir. In an update, the sheriff's office confirmed areas to the east and west of Lake Shire Park were all clear after previously being under mandatory evacuation or evacuation warning. This is reflected on the public information map.

Denver Water has an expansion project for the dam at Gross Reservoir that is not known to be threatened by Lakeshore Fire on Wednesday.

Boulder County has a tip line at 303-441-3674. Anyone with information or a question about resources can contact the county at that number. 

Jefferson County Fairgrounds (15200 W. 6th Ave., Golden) and Gilpin County Fairgrounds (230 Norton Drive, Black Hawk) are both available for community members to bring large animals and livestock for evacuation. 

For visual information regarding fire location and the evacuation map, visit the interactive map for Boulder Emergency Operations Center.