Barbara Lawlor, Nederland.  Around 2:45 p.m. on Monday, people at the boat dock on Gross Reservoir spotted a plume of smoke on the west side of the lake. The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office and the Timberline Fire Protection District responded to the report which was in the Coal Creek Fire District. The people who reported the smoke said they also saw flames from the top of the hill across the water. Timberline arrived at the scene with more firefighters and water and the one-tenth of an acre fire was contained by 5 p.m. by ground crews.

The Rocky Mountain Fire Protection District also responded to the call.

The area at the end of CR 68 is a popular spot for campers, and over the summer firefighters respond to many abandoned campfires or wildfire calls. Although the mountains are rapidly heating up and drying out, there is no fire ban at the time. Crews stayed on the fire overnight to mop up and make sure all hot spots were extinguished.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Photos by Rob Savoye.

(Originally published in the June 7, 2018, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)