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<br />.
<br />
<br />seven miles to the southwest in 1989, and the Lefthand
<br />Canyon Fire two miles to the northwest in 1988.
<br />
<br />The fire began in an area not covered by any structural fire
<br />protection services. Many of the homeowners along Olde
<br />Stage Road resisted joining or being annexed into fire
<br />districts. The area is outside the Boulder city limits.
<br />
<br />B. Weather Conditions
<br />Spring and early summer were dry. Open fire restrictions
<br />were in effect for part of the summer. Mid,summer rain
<br />showers eased fire danger conditions enough to enable an
<br />end to the burning restrictions but did not change the heavy
<br />fuel moisture deficits. A warm, dry autumn followed.
<br />Thanksgiving Day was unseasonably warm and dry. Friday
<br />night, November 23, down,slope west winds of 40+ mph
<br />developed. High winds during the fall and winter months
<br />are not uncommon for the Boulder area.
<br />
<br />C. Description of the Event
<br />Ignition was around 2 a.m. November 24, 1990, by a
<br />resident throwing a burning mattress outside the house. The
<br />mattress was left to lay until later. The high winds quickly
<br />fanned the smoldering mattress into the aide Stage Fire.
<br />
<br />At 2: 14 a.m. the county dispatched two nearby fire
<br />departments into the unprotected housing area to a
<br />"possible structure fire." Hames were then visible to
<br />neighbors. At 2:16, responding fire commanders reported
<br />the structure was fully engulfed by fire. A second alarm
<br />was sounded at2:18 for more firefighters and water tenders.
<br />
<br />The need for forest fire suppression was confirmed at 2:22
<br />a.m. By 2:28, the structure was totally burned, fire was in
<br />the forest with the trees burning, and more structures were
<br />threatened. The county called both the US Forest Service
<br />and the Colorado State Forest Service. City of Boulder
<br />forces were also notified. At 2:32, the fire department
<br />Incident Commander requested Mode 3 classification of
<br />the incident to initiate county responsibility. General
<br />evacuations began.
<br />
<br />At 2:34, spot fires had jumped to the east side of OIde Stage
<br />Road; fire was now on buth sides of the road. By 2:58, a
<br />second home was on fire. By 3:04, "massive structural fire
<br />protection" was underway. At 3:12, all available fire
<br />resources within the county were toned to respond to the
<br />fire.
<br />
<br />The State Forester activated the state Emergency Fire Fund
<br />effective at 3:00 a.m. giving the state a major fire control
<br />responsibility. This was followed by Federal Emergency
<br />Management Agency participation.
<br />
<br />Most of the ten homes destroyed were lost within the first
<br />two hours. But threats to other improvements continued in
<br />all directions as the winds played with the fire. Winds
<br />increased during daylight, subsided just before noon, then
<br />increased again to 60 mph. Temperatures were in the lower
<br />
<br />"
<br />
<br />.
<br />
<br />,
<br />
<br />70s and humidities were an incredibly low 3 percent. The
<br />fire spread up to 300 chains per hour (3.75 miles per hour).
<br />
<br />Fire easily crossed the Hogback, headed east downhill and
<br />threatened the Beechcraft Aviation research complex which
<br />contained supplies of hazardous cbemicals, jet fuel, and
<br />rocket fuels. Highway 34 was closed by smoke throughout
<br />the day. High winds made fire retardant aircraft ineffective.
<br />Fire jumped Highway 34 on the south end and ran another
<br />mile to the east threatening radio telescope sites.
<br />
<br />That evening, fickle winds again fanned fire in all
<br />directions and posed a second series of threats to structures.
<br />A house,to,house fire,fight ensued after dark with no
<br />homes burned.
<br />
<br />On Sunday, November 25, winds failed to materialize and
<br />there was no further fire spread after moming. The fire was
<br />declared controlled November 26 and responsibility was
<br />returned to local fire authorities for final mop'up and patrol.
<br />
<br />A total of 2210 acres, 10 homes, 5 other buildings and at
<br />least one vehicle were burned. One other home was fire,
<br />damaged. One person was injured while evacuating a horse.
<br />No other injuries or deaths resulted.
<br />
<br />V. Black Tiger Fire of 1989
<br />A. General Background
<br />The fire area lies about six miles west of the city of
<br />Boulder, Colorado. B]ack Tiger Gulch runs from northwest
<br />down to the southeast. Topography is a steep, narrow
<br />canyon in the lower area, broad flats in the middle, and
<br />more slopes at the top. Slopes. often steep, range from 5 to
<br />over 35 percent in grade. The steep areas have no road
<br />access but are conducive to rapid fire spread.
<br />
<br />Natural fuels consist of pine/fir mixtures on north,facing
<br />slopes, pine on other slopes, grass,pine mixtures in light
<br />fuel areas, and riparian species along stream beds. From
<br />]974 to ]989, the forests were attacked by mountain pine
<br />beetle and spruce budworm insects. The dead and downed
<br />trees that resulted were cleaned up on some acres but
<br />remained on others and added dry, dead fuels to the Black
<br />Tiger drainage.
<br />
<br />Land ownership patterns are mostly jumbled mixtures of
<br />old, overlapping private mining claims with federal lands in
<br />between. Few of the ownerships are fenced. Development
<br />and habitation of the area began in the ]800s during gold
<br />mining eras and before any of today' s development codes.
<br />In the past 30 years, more home development has occurred
<br />on the old mining claims making the area another attractive
<br />bedroom community typical in forest,brush parts of
<br />Colorado. It is the typical interface of homes in the woods.
<br />
<br />Along with steep canyons and natural fuels, other factors
<br />contribute to wildfire hazard. Homes with combustible
<br />roofs are built close to forest fuels. Desired privacy is
<br />
<br />B-3
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