BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — The Cold Springs Fire near Nederland was 80 percent contained Wednesday night and the Boulder County sheriff hopes everyone can go back home by Thursday night.
Fire managers hope they’ll have 100 percent containment Thursday night. Officials reopened Highway 119 in Boulder Canyon about 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Residents who were evacuated from their homes returned to their residences Wednesday for a brief visit. Law enforcement escorted homeowners into the fire zone for a couple of hours so they could collect more belongings and survey the damage.
Residents of the Saint-Anton Highlands and Falls Pointe subdivisions were allowed to return home for good Wednesday.
Residents returning to the fire area should expect to encounter a variety of hazards that include fire-weakened trees, blowing ash, stump holes and smoke over the next few weeks within the fire perimeter.
Homeowners are encouraged to visit ColdSpringsFireRecovery.org or BoulderOEM.com for recovery-related information.
The fire’s size has been revised down to 528 acres after more accurate mapping. That’s about the size of 500 football fields. About 800 evacuees were allowed to return home two days ago.
‘A miracle’
Darrin Harris Frisby was able to visit his home on Monday. He said he still can’t believe his luck.
A neighbor had shown him video of the fast-moving flames devouring trees on his property. His neighbor told him there was about a 0 percent chance his home was spared.
“He’s like every single type of firefighting apparatus on the planet is in your hard. There’s bulldozers, there’s hotshots, B-2 bombers dropping slurry. There’s water buckets dropping down. He’s like, it’s a war zone,” Frisby said.
Frisby learned his house was saved, but after surveying the aftermath, he still can’t quite comprehend how.
“Nothing on the one side of my house is burned. Everything on the other side is burned, and it’s not just a little bit. There’s nothing left. It’s like dust, even the trees. They’re just going to fall over they’re so toasted,” he said.
The flames came within about 100 feet of his house. Smoldering branches, smoke and a huge swatch of orange retardant are signs of the battle that was fought in Frisby’s front yard.
“They bombed my house. Dude, it looks like a Broncos game,” he said. “It’s blue sky and orange everywhere.”
Several of Frisby’s neighbors weren’t so lucky. At least three homes just up the road were destroyed. So while Frisby feels fortunate, he knows dark days still like ahead for many.
For now, all he can do is say thanks to the firefighters who saved his home and the twist of fate or higher power that helped keep intact.
Firefighters say they have a handle on the fire. It’s no longer growing. They hope everyone will be able to return home for good within a week or so.