Two Roaring Fork Valley wildfires sparked by ‘preventable causes’

Residual heat from a controlled burn. Human activity still under investigation.

These are two “preventable causes” that ignited two Saturday wildfires near Old Snowmass and in Basalt, according to Roaring Fork Fire Rescue Deputy Chief of Operations Richard Cornelius.

“Your fuels are dry right now,” Cornelius said. “Drier fuels and relative humidity are certainly not what we would expect this time of year.”

A controlled burn originally slated for Lazy O Ranch in Snowmass flared out of control shortly after 1 p.m. Saturday, according to callers.

Roaring Fork Fire Rescue Authority responded within 14 minutes to find the fire actively spreading. Firefighters deployed three brush trucks, two engines, two tenders, and a command vehicle. Mutual aid units arrived shortly after, and the fire was contained within the hour. Crews remained on site for several hours to extinguish lingering hot spots and complete mop-up.

Although no open burning had occurred at Lazy O on Saturday, Cornelius confirmed that controlled burns had taken place the day before. 

“Lazy O Ranch was a wildland fire, but, to be clear, they were not doing a controlled burn on Saturday,” he said. “However, they did a controlled burn on Friday, which appears to have left a hotspot that reignited.”

While fire teams were still working at Lazy O, the Pitkin County Regional Emergency Dispatch Center began receiving 911 calls reporting a second fire, this time at 245 Columbine Court in Basalt, according to a Monday news release. 

Units responded from Lazy O, as well as from Station 41 in Basalt and Station 45 in Snowmass Village, arriving within nine minutes. They found flames moving uphill, igniting wooden fences behind homes. Evacuations were ordered for residents along Columbine Court, Cemetery Road, Red Tail Lane, and Kestrel Court.

Crews deployed two engines, an ambulance, and a command vehicle, while mutual aid arrived with four additional command vehicles, three brush trucks, three engines, and another ambulance. Firefighters had the Columbine blaze under control within 30 minutes, with full mop-up completed by around 4:10 p.m.

Cornelius confirmed that the Columbine Court fire is believed to be human-caused, but it is still under investigation. While a shop grinder may have been involved, officials have not ruled out other tools or cigarette smoking.

Two wooden fences were damaged, but no structures were lost in either incident.

Officials stressed the importance of calling 911 immediately upon seeing smoke or fire, noting that delays can hinder response times. 

“If there is any type of observed wildfire, call 911 immediately,” Cornelius said. “There is a possibility that there was a delay in calling 911 during the Columbine Court Fire. We want to remind the public of the importance of notifying 911 immediately so we can be dispatched immediately.”

He emphasized that even brief delays in reporting can make a difference. 

“The quicker we get the information, the better,” Cornelius said, explaining that 911 dispatchers need time to process calls before sending out crews.

The Saturday fires occurred under a red flag warning issued by the National Weather Service, which had cautioned residents about gusty winds, dry conditions, and low humidity. Under such warnings, Roaring Fork Fire reminds the public that open burning is strictly prohibited — even for those with valid permits.

“With a red flag warning, and with those types of conditions, if you have a fire, it can spread very quickly and get out of control, so the quicker we know, the better,” Cornelius said. “When the National Weather Service issues a red flag warning, even with a valid burn permit, they are prohibited from open burning.”

The response to both fires involved multiple agencies, including the Aspen and Carbondale fire districts, Glenwood Springs Fire Department, Aspen Ambulance, Basalt Police, Eagle and Pitkin County sheriff’s offices, and the Pitkin County Regional Emergency Dispatch Center.