As damage assessments continue, Jefferson County Open Space spokesman Chris Barker has confirmed that the Quarry fire caused extensive damage to Deer Creek Canyon Park.
Fire crews achieved 100% containment a week ago, and Jeffco crews have been inspecting county property since then. They can’t say when the park will reopen.
“Almost 600 acres were impacted, all on our property, and our teams have to go out and scour every section of the parcel, determine the amount of impact, determine restoration, maintenance and safety aspects, map and log everything, and then coordinate efforts to get all of this accomplished internally,” Barker wrote in an email. “There were two bulldozer fire lines put in to hold the fire, hand lines dug by fire crews, burn scars and dead trees which pose a safety risk, not to mention the potential for flash flooding/mud slides due to the vegetation loss.”
Deer Creek Canyon Park is popular with hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians. It measures 1,637 acres, most of it on steep terrain with an elevation gain of 1,200 feet, 3.5 miles west of Chatfield Reservoir. The 580-acre fire, which forced nearly 600 homes to evacuate after it started burning late July 30, didn’t destroy any structures, officials said.
In terms of outdoor recreation, there is better news regarding the Alexander Mountain fire west of Loveland, which has burned nearly 10,000 acres. No developed recreational sites were damaged on national forest land, according to Reid Armstrong, public affairs specialist for the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests.
Originally Published: August 14, 2024 at 12:54 p.m.
