State preparing to mitigate underground fire that has burned in Boulder County for decades
BOULDER, Colo — Boulder County held a virtual community meeting Monday to discuss the latest with an underground coal mine fire that has burned for decades, as it prepares to begin mitigation efforts this fall. The Lewis Coal Mine fire has been burning for more than fifty years, but recent observations by the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (DRMS) have increased pressure to mitigate the fire and debris.
The Lewis site is very close to the suspected starting site of the Marshall Fire in 2021. In findings released from its investigation into the Marshall Fire’s origins earlier this year, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office announced that it was likely caused by a downed Xcel power line and embers from an earlier fire on private property, and not related to the underground mine. Even still, the DRMS has observed more surface fracturing and cracking, and increased venting, leading to a concern for future fire risk above ground.
“I think our concern with the site is we’ve seen activity increasing,” explained Jeff Graves, the director of the Inactive Mine Reclamation Program. “As the coal is consumed, we end up with a much higher risk for wildfire ignition.”