Alexander Mountain
Alexander Mountain is a mountain in Larimer County, Colorado named for the pioneers John and Grant Alexander. It is within a mid-elevation ponderosa pine forest in the Canyon Lakes Ranger District of the Roosevelt National Forest with mountain mahogany, skunkbrush, and gambel oak forbs. North of US Highway 34 between Loveland and Estes Park, west of Green Ridge, and east of Cedar Creek, it is recognizable by its pyramidal shaped south face. Its habitat is mesic and dry-mesic and has cliff faces which are home to rattlesnakes. Now home to the Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch, its cultural significance is the final stand in a bear hunt in the memoirs of Gerry Spence. On July 29, 2024, an unknown ignition of a hot dry remote area on the north face of the Alexander Mountain caused the Alexander Mountain Fire, receiving national attention for a rapidly accelerating wildfire causing a wide evacuation area under volatile circumstances and risking losses to communication and energy infrastructure as well as ranching and tourism communities along the Big Thompson River near Drake, Colorado.
2024 Alexander Mountain Fire
During the 2024 Colorado wildfire season, on Monday, July 29, near the Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch, the Alexander Mountain Fire ignited before 11:00am. By 12:20pm, the burn area was 100 acres and spreading quickly, growing to 245 acres by 12:45pm. Near the mouth of the Big Thompson Canyon, 37 square miles of Larimer County were evacuated, from County Road 18E from Pole Hill to Pinewood Reservoir and Drake to The Dam Store along U.S. Highway 34, including Storm Mountain and Palisade Mountain. 90 horses were evacuated from the Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch to The Ranch in Loveland, which was preparing for the Larimer County Fair. They joined other animal evacuees. Employees of the Colorado Cherry Company were also evacuated. By 2:50pm, the blaze was over 300 acres.Response
Loveland Fire Authority responded to the initial call at 10:39am. The fire spread rapidly and the Larimer County Sheriff's Office assumed command of the incidence response under Emergency Services Coordinator Justin Whitesell. Air response arrived at 2:07pm from Northern Colorado Regional Airport including four helicopters, one large air tanker, one multimission aircraft and Air Attack aerial supervision. Throughout the afternoon, they were joined by dozens of fire crews and at least 11 total aircraft. Growing by 500 acres in just 2 hours, by the end of Monday, the fire had burned 992 acres.The fire slowly crept downhill overnight and into the next day with no major runs. At 6:00am on Tuesday, July 30, a US Forest Service Type 3 Incident Management Team took command of firefighting. Horsetooth, Pinewood, Flatiron and Carter Lake reservoirs had all been closed to aid firefighting efforts. According to incident commander Mike Smith on Tuesday, hot, dry conditions expanded the burn area threatened to cross Cedar Creek westward. At this time, having burned a third of the Big Thompson Canyon, the fire was expected to run out of fuel on that front. Throughout Tuesday, over 270 firefighters focused on critical infrastructure and private property. Hot arid temperatures and dry fuel created difficult conditions. Evacuations expanded throughout the day. By 7:00pm Tuesday, the burn area was 5080 acres.
Emergency declaration
By Wednesday morning, firefighting in the Colorado Front Range was complicated by two new fires, the Quarry Fire near Ken Caryl, and the Stone Canyon Fire near Lyons, Colorado in Boulder County. Smoke had settled in the vicinity. The fire remained active overnight in areas with dry flora. Infrastructure including buildings remained secure.Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association shut power lines for Cedar Park and Glen Haven. Larimer County enacted fire restrictions for non-incorporated areas. Governor Jared Polis issued a disaster declaration. Speaking in Loveland, Polis and other lawmakers called upon the National Interagency Fire Center to send more resources including firefighters, engines, and incident management teams. Polis stated: "This is likely to be a several week event, even potentially a month or two, just as the last fires of 2020 were." He activated the Colorado National Guard. The Federal Emergency Management Agency recognized the disaster, according to Representative Joe Neguse, immediately funding 75% of firefighting efforts with the hope of eventual full funding. Despite a Preparedness Level 5 situation, the most pressed for firefighting activity, the National Interagency Fire Center mobilized the Southwest Complex Incident Management Team 1, noting the danger to communication and energy infrastructure.
Fire behavior was described as group torching, uphill runs and short-range spotting of timber, brush, and grass. Volatility challenged ground and aerial firefighting crews, spreading northwest, a total of 7,648 acres with 1% containment. Without verifiable flying range, aviation assets were at times limited. When safe, resources dropped water and fire retardant to help secure the fire perimeter and protect values at risk. Firefighters achieved initial containment by lighting backfires, burning vegetation ahead of the fire's advance, thereby securing the east perimeter near the Sylvan Dale Ranch staging area. Fire behavior was described as group torching, uphill runs and shortrange spotting of timber, brush, and grass.