Lakeshore Fire in Colorado foothills starts near Gross Reservoir, at least 1 home destroyed

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

The CBS Colorado news helicopter captured images of visible destruction to at least one home during the response, as an air tanker made retardant drops on the flames. There was no confirmation on size of the burn. There are no confirmed injuries at this time. 

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

Flagstaff Road is 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 is shut down starting at Lakeshore Drive extending south to Crescent Village.

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

According to Boulder Disaster Management, Lake Shore Park neighborhood is 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 are now 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.