Lake Christine Fire

Last updated

Lake Christine Fire
Smoke 742018 .jpg
Date(s)July 3, 2018 (2018-07-03) – September 4, 2018 (2018-09-04)
Location Basalt and Carbondale, Eagle County, Colorado, United States
Coordinates 39°22′21″N107°02′35″W / 39.37250°N 107.04306°W / 39.37250; -107.04306
Statistics [1]
Burned area12,588 acres (51 km2) [1]
Impacts
Non-fatal injuries1 Serious Injury -Firefighter, Volunteer
Structures destroyedResidential/Cabin
Damage$25 + Million USD
Ignition
CauseArson/Tracer Round Ammunition
Perpetrator(s)Richard Karl Miller and Allison Sarah Marcus
Map
USA Colorado location map.svg
FireIcon.svg
The fires location in western Colorado

The Lake Christine Fire was a wildfire that burned near Basalt and Carbondale, in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The fire was the result of an act of criminal arson. It started on July 3, 2018, and was later downgraded to a Burned Area Response on September 4, 2018, after 13 weeks. It destroyed a total of 12,588 wilderness acres on Basalt Mountain and seriously injured a volunteer firefighter. The Lake Christine fire also destroyed the home of a long-time volunteer firefighter who was battling the blaze in response to his call of duty on the evening of July 4. Several other structures were also destroyed. [2]

Contents

Incidents

The fire started just before 6:00pm on July 3, 2018, at the Basalt Shooting Range. Criminality for the fire was officially assigned to Richard Karl Miller, 23, and Allison Sarah Marcus, 22, of the Maryland/Washington DC area. They were in a group of people using tracer rounds at the rifle area of the range, located on the south side of the shooting area. Fire personnel who reported from the scene noted that the impact site of the rounds was on a hillside adjacent to the gun range, far outside of the targeted shooting area. The Roaring Fork Valley, including Basalt, had been under Stage 2 Fire Ban Restrictions for several weeks, and was experiencing serious drought conditions when the fire ignited.

Marcus and Miller were contacted by law enforcement at the gun range on July 3 along with the other members of their party, but were not arrested. In mid-July, the District Attorney's office indicated that the suspects could not be located. The pair were reported to have fled the State of Colorado. Public contacts to law enforcement helped to locate the suspects in-hiding and they were arrested in the early morning hours of July 15, 2018, outside of a home in Carbondale by the Basalt Police Department.

Miller and Marcus were offered a deal by prosecutors to plea guilty to a single misdemeanor charge each. Eight felony charges were eliminated by the prosecution team.

The gunmen originally faced multiple 4th degree felony arson charges, but all felony charges were later dropped. [3]

Miller and Marcus were sentenced to a work release program, community service, and received a total $100,000 fine for restitution to the group of victims. [4]

Estimates put the firefighting costs for government agencies in the range of $30,000,000 USD.

Fire crews from Arizona and parts of the Pacific Northwest arrived in the Roaring Fork Valley in the days after the fire began to assist local crews and air support personnel. Nearly 1500 fire personnel were sent from thirty-nine states in the Union to Colorado to assist with the fire. Helicopters worked for several days from local water sources and retardant pickup stations to battle the blaze from the airspace.

Thousands of residents of the Carbondale, El Jebel, Basalt and Fryingpan Valley areas were evacuated from their homes on July 4, 2018. An approaching storm from the East pushed heavy winds but provided no rainfall for the fire suppression effort. Wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour gave fuel to the fire and spread it rapidly into areas of Missouri Heights and El Jebel. Local residents assisted ground personnel in battling the blaze. Flames reached heights to more than 100 feet in the air.

On September 4, 2018, the fire was downgraded to a Burned Area Response.

The fire destroyed the homes of five separate families in El Jebel and destroyed a historic cabin on Basalt Mountain. The large landscape burn scar on Basalt Mountain threatened to produce mudslide activity nearby the community of El Jebel during the Fall of 2018 and Spring of 2019. A community meeting was held in March 2019 to inform local residents of future dangers within the burn scar area and the significant chances for mudslide activity. Some areas along the eastern edge of the fire in Basalt were impacted by mudslide and debris activity in August 2019.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife specifically outlaws flammable tracer round ammunition at the Lake Christine Wildlife Shooting Range in Basalt, and this provision was in effect on July 3 on posted signage at the range.

Closures

The Lake Christine Gun Range was fully-operational under the Colorado Department of Wildlife Agency's District 8 Manager when the fire broke-out. CPW Officer Perry Will was the manager responsible for maintaining the gun range. Although the risk for fire at the range was extremely high with Stage II fire danger conditions en effect during the early parts of July 2018, the gun range remained open.

Upper Cattle Creek in the southbound direction and Kelly Lake Road were closed during the fire. [5]

Politics

After the fire, CPW Officer Perry Will appeared in a low-budget propaganda-style video made for the promotion of the gun range. The video was released in the Spring of 2019 on Facebook and YouTube outlets. Later in 2019, Will was appointed to the Colorado House of Representatives District 57. In campaigning, he attended rally events with pro-gun political candidate, Lauren Boebert, who is from nearby Rifle, Colorado. Boebert has appeared as an outspoken advocate for gun ownership since she attended a local town meeting in the nearby City of Aspen in the Fall of 2019.

The Eagle County Sheriff made headlines in conservative media outlets in the Spring of 2019 after voicing opposition to new gun laws being proposed for public safety in the Colorado Legislature.

Evacuations

2,100 residents were evacuated in areas of Basalt, the Fryingpan River, Missouri Heights, and El Jebel. [6]

Two evacuation centers were opened; one at Basalt High School in Basalt, and the other at the Roaring Fork High School in Carbondale. The Red Cross assisted in the evacuation efforts.

On July 20, 2018, the fire grew, causing pre evacuation orders to be put in place for Cedar Drive, Toner Creek, Seven Castles and Taylor Road. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisville, Colorado</span> City in Colorado, United States

The City of Louisville is a home rule municipality located in southeastern Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 21,226 at the 2020 United States Census. Louisville began as a mining community in 1877, experienced a period of labor violence early in the 20th century, and transitioned to a suburban residential community when the mines closed in the 1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basalt, Colorado</span> Town in Colorado, United States

Basalt is a home rule municipality located in Eagle and Pitkin counties, Colorado, United States. The town population was 3,984 at the 2020 United States Census with 2,917 residing in Eagle County and 1,067 residing in Pitkin County. Basalt is a part of the Edwards-Glenwood Springs, CO Combined Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carbondale, Colorado</span> Town in Colorado, United States

The Town of Carbondale is a home rule municipality located in Garfield County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 6,434 at the 2020 United States Census. Carbondale is a part of the Glenwood Springs, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tracer ammunition</span> Illuminated pyrotechnic ammunition visible in daylight and darkness

Tracer ammunition, or tracers, are bullets or cannon-caliber projectiles that are built with a small pyrotechnic charge in their base. When fired, the pyrotechnic composition is ignited by the burning powder and burns very brightly, making the projectile trajectory visible to the naked eye during daylight, and very bright during nighttime firing. This allows the shooter to visually trace the trajectory of the projectile and thus make necessary ballistic corrections, without having to confirm projectile impacts and without even using the sights of the weapon. Tracer fire can also be used as a marking tool to signal other shooters to concentrate their fire on a particular target during battle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roaring Fork River</span> Tributary

Roaring Fork River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately 70 miles (110 km) long, in west central Colorado in the United States. The river drains a populated and economically vital area of the Colorado Western Slope called the Roaring Fork Valley or Roaring Fork Watershed, which includes the resort city of Aspen and the resorts of Aspen/Snowmass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Sopris</span> Twin-Peak Mountain in Colorado, United States

Mount Sopris is a twin-summit mountain in the northwestern Elk Mountains range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The prominent 12,965-foot (3,952 m) mountain is located in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness of White River National Forest, 6.6 miles (10.7 km) north by northeast of the community of Redstone in Pitkin County, Colorado, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roaring Fork Valley</span> Place in Colorado, United States

The Roaring Fork Valley is a geographical region in western Colorado in the United States. The Roaring Fork Valley is one of the most affluent regions in Colorado and the U.S. as well as one of the most populous and economically vital areas of the Colorado Western Slope. The Valley is defined by the valley of the Roaring Fork River and its tributaries, including the Crystal and Fryingpan River. It includes the communities of Aspen, Snowmass Village, Basalt, Carbondale, and Glenwood Springs. Mount Sopris and the Roaring Fork River serve as symbols of the Roaring Fork Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roaring Fork Transportation Authority</span> Public transport agency in the Roaring Fork Valley, Colorado

The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority is an agency that operates public transportation for the Roaring Fork Valley in Colorado. RFTA's service area stretches 70 miles (110 km) from Aspen to Rifle, serving major cities of Basalt, Snowmass Village, Carbondale, and Glenwood Springs in between. RFTA also operates seasonal ski shuttles, guided bus tours to Maroon Bells, paratransit, and manages the Rio Grande Trail.

The Machine Gun Fire or Camp Williams Fire was a wildfire in Herriman, Utah in 2010 that burned several dwellings. It was started by a mistake at a firing range by National Guard troops on a training exercise. 4,351 acres burned, approximately 1600 homes were evacuated, and 3 homes were destroyed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Park fire</span> 2012 Wildfire in Larimer County, Colorado

The High Park fire was a wildfire in the mountains west of Fort Collins in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. It was caused by a lightning strike and was first detected on the morning of June 9, 2012. It was declared 100 percent contained on June 30, 2012, and all associated evacuation orders were lifted. Disambiguation. In 2022 there was another fire called "High Park Fire." That fire started on 05/12/2022 6 miles west of Cripple Creek Colorado. The size at 89% containment was 1,572 acres. Since wildland fire names are typically assigned by personnel on the fire and often based on local knowledge, it is not unusual to have more than one fire with the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waldo Canyon Fire</span> 2012 forest fire in Colorado, US

The Waldo Canyon fire was a forest fire that started approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of Colorado Springs, Colorado on June 23, 2012, and was declared 100 percent contained on July 10, 2012, after no smoke plumes were visible on a small portion of the containment line on Blodgett Peak. The fire was active in the Pike National Forest and adjoining areas, covering a total of 18,247 acres. The fire had caused the evacuation of over 32,000 residents of Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs and Woodland Park, several small mountain communities along the southwestern side of U.S. Highway 24, and partial evacuation of the United States Air Force Academy. There were 346 homes destroyed by the fire. U.S. Highway 24, a major east–west road, was closed in both directions. The Waldo Canyon Fire resulted in insurance claims totaling more than US $453.7 million. It was the most destructive fire in Colorado state history, as measured by the number of homes destroyed, until the Black Forest Fire surpassed it almost a year later when it consumed 486 homes and damaged 28 others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Colorado wildfires</span>

The 2012 Colorado wildfires were an unusually devastating series of Colorado wildfires, including several separate fires that occurred throughout June, July, and August 2012. At least 34,500 residents were evacuated in June.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">416 Fire</span>

The 416 and Burro Fire Complex were two wildfires that burned in the southwestern portion of Colorado in the United States in 2018. The fires burned predominantly within San Juan National Forest, 13 miles north of Durango and 14 miles south of Rico. The 416 Fire started on June 1, 2018, and the Burro Fire followed on June 8. Federal officials allege that embers emitted from a coal-burning steam locomotive used by the historic Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad started the blaze, and have filed a lawsuit against the railroad seeking recoupment of $25 million in firefighting costs, penalties and legal expenses. The fires burned a combined total of over 57,000 acres (23,067 ha) and have cost more than $43 million to contain. On March 31, 2022, the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad reached settlements in two lawsuits stemming from its role in starting the 416 fire: one settlement with federal authorities in which the railroad would pay $20 million to the federal government and institute a fire mitigation program for its operations. In the second settlement, the railroad agreed to pay an undisclosed amount to home and business owners impacted by the fire and subsequent floods during the summer monsoon season that followed in the wake of the 416 fire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pawnee Fire</span> 2018 wildfire in Northern California

The Pawnee Fire was a large wildfire that burned in Spring Valley in Lake County, California, in the United States. The fire started on June 23, 2018, and quickly expanded overnight, destroying 12 structures, and causing the evacuation of the entire Spring Valley area. It destroyed 22 structures, damaged six structures, and burned a total of 15,185 acres (61 km2) before it was fully contained on July 8, 2018. A Cal Fire investigation determined in April 2019 the cause of the fire was target shooting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spring Creek Fire (2018)</span>

The Spring Creek Fire was a wildfire near Fort Garland and La Veta, Colorado in Costilla and Huerfano counties in southern Colorado. The fire burned a total of 108,045 acres and was the third-largest wildfire in Colorado history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cranston Fire</span> 2018 wildfire in Southern California

The Cranston Fire was a wildfire that burned in southwest Riverside County, California, in the United States. The fire was started on July 25, 2018, by Brandon M. McGlover, in an act of arson. The fire burned a total of 13,139 acres (53 km2), before it was fully contained on August 10. The Cranston Fire impacted the communities of Idyllwild and Mountain Center, as well as recreational activities in the Lake Hemet area, San Bernardino National Forest and Mount San Jacinto State Park. Over 7,000 people were evacuated due to the Cranston Fire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bond Fire</span> 2020 wildfire in Southern California

The Bond Fire was a wildfire that burned 6,686 acres (2,706 ha) in the Santiago Canyon area of Orange County, California in December 2020. The fire caused evacuations of 25,000 residents and injured 2 firefighters. The fire was very close to the burn scar of the Silverado Fire, which took place in October 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marshall Fire</span> Fire in Boulder County, Colorado, in 2021

The Marshall Fire was a destructive wildfire and urban conflagration that started on December 30, 2021, shortly after 11:00 a.m. MST, as a grass fire in Boulder County, Colorado. The fire killed two people and became the most destructive fire in Colorado history in terms of buildings destroyed, surpassing the 2013 Black Forest fire.

The Range 12 fire was started on July 30, 2016 in eastern Washington at the Yakima Training Center east of Yakima, Washington near Moxee, Washington. It quickly grew to over 176,000 acres (71,000 ha) to cover parts of Yakima County and Benton County. The fire was the third in recent years to affect the area surrounding the Hanford Reach National Monument and the Arid Lands Ecology Reserve near Rattlesnake Ridge. The fire was eventually contained through the use of controlled burns on Rattlesnake Mountain in Benton County due to concerns that the fire was getting too close to the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, which had recently been compared to the Fukushima nuclear disaster by Newsweek magazine earlier in 2016. A lawsuit was filed by ranchers in the area due to loss of property, but was dismissed due to questions of jurisdiction. Even though there were no findings from the Anderson v. United States of America case, the dismissal document from May 21, 2019, points to a cause for the fire:

The Army training unit continued to engage in live fire training exercises through the afternoon on July 30, 2016. At approximately 4:40 p.m., one of the Army training unit's soldier's fired a machine gun at a target using tracer rounds. SJF ¶ 74. One of the tracer rounds ricocheted from the target area and landed on some brush, which started a brush fire. Id. The fire spread beyond the YTC and onto Plaintiffs' rangeland properties, causing property damage to Plaintiffs' cattle businesses.

References

  1. 1 2 "Lake Christine Fire". InciWeb. US Forest Service. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  2. "Lake Christine fire's "prolific ember shower" destroys 3 homes". The Denver Post. July 5, 2018. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  3. "2 people shooting tracer rounds accused of starting Lake Christine Fire". FOX31 Denver. July 5, 2018. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  4. "2 Who Admitted To Starting Lake Christine Fire Sentenced". CBS Denver. July 1, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  5. "Lake Christine Fire Map". Google My Maps. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  6. "Firefighter Stories, Aspen Real Life". July 17, 2018.
  7. "New pre-evacuation notices issued for Lake Christine Fire". FOX31 Denver. July 20, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2018.