Barbara Lawlor, Boulder County.  A Caribou Road resident says he could see the smoke and flames of a structure fire from downtown Nederland on Monday about 1 p.m. When he drove to the site just past Cardinal he saw the building burning and the resident standing on the road with her dog. She said she just managed to get out before the flames engulfed the house.

The Nederland Fire Protection District firefighters were first on the scene and flames were visible at that time. A call for mutual aid went out to Timberline and Sugarloaf fire districts that arrived on scene and set up hoses and tankers for a quick attack.

According to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, the fire appears to have started in a shed next to the house and then spread to the residence. Trees next to the house caught on fire but were doused by firefighters before the flames could spread.

The woman and her dog were the only occupants of the house at the time of the fire.

The Sheriff’s Office and fire personnel will investigate the cause and origin of the fire, which is undetermined at this time. The investigation will be conducted with the assistance of the Boulder County Multi-Agency Fire Investigation Team (MAFIT).