Things seems to be looking up after a week of Front Range wildfires, but the battle is far from over. 

“Things are feeling good right now, progress has been made,” Lyons Mayor Hollie Rogin said about the Stone Canyon fire in Boulder County on Friday night. “More people are being let home, which is what we want to see.”

Mark Techmeyer, Jefferson County Sheriff spokesman, noted the he’s proud that no structures have been lost in the Quarry fire as of Saturday morning. “Still, the closest flame to a home is a quarter mile. We’ve held that all week long. Very proud of those efforts from the firefighters.”

At the Alexander Mountain fire in Larimer County, officials remain cautiously optimistic. Despite a small win on Friday, raising containment to 5%, firefighters know there’s still work to be done.

PHOTOS: Colorado wildfires on Saturday

“That doesn’t mean we are without challenges, it is still very hot and the fire is still amongst the homes,” Carl Schwope, the incident commander, said Friday afternoon. “The threat of the fire crossing Highway 34 is still very realistic.”

Alexander Mountain fire

As of Saturday afternoon, the Alexander Mountain fire is now at 9,530 acres with 5% containment, according to the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office. 

Despite early concerns that sprouting thunderstorms may bring fire-changing winds late Friday and early Saturday, the fire only grew slightly.

Still, the 9,530 acres is a significant step up from the 5,000 acres reported Tuesday evening — around 24 hours after the fires began.

Around 30 structures have been damaged or destroyed since Thursday, all south of Cedar Springs Reservoir, all a mix of homes and outbuildings. 

The sheriff’s office is notifying property owners of the damages Saturday, the office said in a press release.

Just under 400 personnel were working the fire as Friday evening, including five specialized hotshot teams. Hotshot teams are elite wildland firefighters who are called into the most challenging parts of a fire. Each team is made up of roughly 20 firefighters.

Horsetooth Reservoir is now open and is no longer being used to scoop water, according to the sheriff’s office. Carter Lake remains closed for aircraft use in firefighting efforts.

Quarry fire

Things down south from the Alexander Mountain fire seem a bit more positive heading into the weekend.

The Quarry fire — affecting the Deer Creek Canyon area in Jefferson County — only saw a small growth of around 30 acres over Friday evening. Luckily, the spread went toward open land, not structures. The total still sits around 480 acres.

Containment improved to around 10% Friday from 4%, but the sheriff’s office warns locals that they may see more smoke than before on Saturday due to the work the nearly 185 firefighters are completing in the area.

Officials expect the containment numbers to jump Saturday.

A line dug by hand crews and bulldozers on the southside of the fire was completed Friday, a huge step in the right direction, Techmeyer said during a press conference Saturday morning.

A line on the eastside has also seen improvement. 

Officials pleaded with citizens not to fly drones over the area, for the disruption can lead to the grounding of helicopters fighting the battle. A drone recently flew over the area, delaying fights.

“We are investigating to identify that person and they will be reported to the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration),” Techmeyer said. “If there’re charges that can be brought, they will be brought. We are dead serious about this. It cannot happen.”

Officials announced Friday morning that they are investigating the fire as potentially caused by a human. They are still looking for tips, fielding calls on their tip line at 303-271-5612.

Investigators will also be using a dog through the state’s new wildfire investigations team to help sniff out accelerants. 

Prior to 2023, local departments in Colorado were responsible for investigating their own wildfires, but Senate Bill 23-013 was passed, allocating nearly $3 million to the state’s division of fire prevention and control within the Department of Public Safety to create the investigation unit.

Stone Canyon fire

The Stone Canyon fire in Boulder County reached 53% containment on Friday evening — a significant jump from the 30% reported Friday morning.

Still, the fire sits at 1,553 acres, according to a social media post from the Boulder Office of Disaster Management around 5:30 p.m. Friday.

Five structures have been burned by the fire as of Saturday, though the extent of the damage was not noted by the office online. Additionally, two firefighters have been injured as a result of the fire — but their condition was not shared.

Areas near Eagle Ridge Road were reopened Saturday, allowing residents to return to previously evacuated areas in the western region.

These areas included all residences on Stone Canyon Drive. Initially, only part of Stone Canyon was reopened Saturday morning.

The nearby Moss Rock area remains under evacuation, though, with 11 homes evacuated as of Saturday afternoon. 

“We’re going to keep working on this and hope to have 100% containment by Sunday,” Fire Incident Commander Nathan Hallam said.

The Denver Gazette’s news partner, 9News, contributed to this report