Human Lifestyle

Emergency vehicles in the NCAR parking lot
I spoke to a representative from Boulder Fire while leaving work today. He indicated that the fire was most likely caused by lightening. It can take days if not weeks for a lightening strike to develop into a fire. The department sent 15 personnel up the Bear Creek Trail and they then hiked over the ridge. The trip took and hour and a half. As of 5 pm the fire was contained.

A wildfire started early this afternoon high up in the flatirons above NCAR's Mesa Laboratory. I do not know yet what started it. The fire is to the right of Mallory Cave and higher up the ridge. There was no lightening today. Only climbers tend to head for that area.


In the time we observed it, the smoke would billow and fall downwards as the wind caught it. It did appear to be moving up the ridge.