Denver, CO
Wildfires encroach on homes near Denver as heat hinders fight
A wildfire on the edge of metro Denver crept within a quarter-mile of evacuated homes, but authorities said Thursday morning they were hopeful to save hundreds of threatened residences as they grapple with sweltering temperatures and firefighters suffering heat exhaustion.
The fire was among several threatening heavily populated areas of the Colorado foothills, including one in which a person was killed earlier this week.
Almost 100 large fires are burning across the western U.S. The largest—Northern California’s Park Fire—has burned more than 400 houses and other structures, officials reported Thursday.
New large fires were reported in Idaho, southeast Montana and north Texas.
The Quarry Fire southwest of the Denver suburb of Littleton encroached on several large subdivisions. Neighborhoods with nearly 600 homes were ordered to evacuate after the fire of unknown origin spread quickly overnight Tuesday.
The fire had been held to less than a half-square mile (1.4 square kilometers) with no houses yet destroyed, authorities said. But officials said it remained a major danger with hot temperatures expected Thursday.
Five firefighters were injured Wednesday, including four who had heat exhaustion, said Mark Techmeyer with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
Just to the north near the city of Lyons, Colorado, officials reported making progress on the Stone Canyon Fire that has killed one person and destroyed five houses. The cause is under investigation.
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Onlookers gather at a roadblock to watch as a wildfire burns in the mountains near the Ken Caryl Ranch development Wednesday, July 31, 2024, southwest of Littleton, Colo. Credit: AP Photo/David Zalubowski
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Helicopter heads toward a ridge to make a water drop on a wildland fire burning near the Ken Caryl Ranch development Wednesday, July 31, 2024, southwest of Littleton, Colo. Credit: AP Photo/David Zalubowski
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Onlookers gather at a roadblock to watch as a wildfire burns in the mountains near the Ken Caryl Ranch development Wednesday, July 31, 2024, southwest of Littleton, Colo. Credit: AP Photo/David Zalubowski
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Flames rise amid billowing clouds of smoke as a wildland fire burns over ridges near the Ken Caryl Ranch development, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, southwest of Littleton, Colo. Credit: AP Photo/David Zalubowski
California’s Park Fire continued to grow, covering about 610 square miles (1,590 square kilometers) as of Thursday morning. That’s more than 25 times the size of New York’s Manhattan Island.
Losses also increased. The latest updates tallied 437 structures destroyed and 42 damaged, according to Cal Fire. The fire was 18% contained.
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Denver, CO
Denver officers cited for separate incidents, 1 fired
DENVER (KDVR) — Two officers, one now formerly of the Denver Police Department, face multiple charges relating to separate incidents in the past two months.
According to a release, now-former Denver Police Officer Gabriel Lucero was issued a citation for third-degree assault, official misconduct and false reporting, while Officer Javon Leach was cited for reckless driving and eluding.
The incident involving Lucero reportedly occurred on May 22 just before 1 a.m. in the 500 block of 16th Street. According to a release, Lucero was involved in an assault at a business, as he allegedly assaulted a person and walked away as others continued to assault the victim.
Security guards and an off-duty officer escorted him and the group out; however, Lucero reportedly identified himself as a Denver police officer and attempted to re-enter by using his police badge.
Lucero reportedly provided a false name without any other information, and further investigation verified Lucero as the person involved. Lucero was hired in 2025 and, due to his current probationary status, was fired as of Wednesday.
The incident involving Leach occurred around 1:41 a.m. on June 21, when Leach was reportedly pulling out of a parking lot on Larimer Street, attempting to drive against traffic.
Leach reportedly refused commands to stop as he left the area. Officials said he was found just seven minutes later, traveling at high speeds northbound on Park Avenue West.
He reportedly fled a traffic stop and continued to drive away, and officials deemed Leach to be the suspect following an investigation. He was placed in an off-line assignment while the case progresses, as they are considered misdemeanors.
“The Denver Police Department’s administrative review of Leach’s incident will begin once the criminal case is adjudicated, and that process includes the Denver Department of Safety and the Office of the Independent Monitor, a civilian oversight agency,” the release said.
Denver, CO
Peyton Watson landing spots: Could Nuggets star actually leave Denver?
Denver Nuggets standout forward Peyton Watson could find himself on another team before you know it.
With the Nuggets reportedly open to a sign-and-trade of Watson, could Denver really lose a core piece to their rotation?
It’s hard to imagine many teams being able to shoulder the financial weight of a Watson contract at this point because of the aprons and such, but he’s absolutely an asset to any contending team.
We’ve gone through and identified a few teams that make sense for Watson in the fall… including the one he’s already on at the moment. Hey, he might stay home, you never know!
The Clippers have been linked to Watson as a possible destination; he could help them immensely.
The Pistons have also been linked to Watson, which would help them a lot to contend for an NBA title.
Look, HYPOTHETICALLY, the Nets could move around some cap space with some player trades and such and get a deal done. They are one of the only teams in the NBA right now not in the negative with cap space.
The Grizzlies are the team with the least amount of negative cap space right now, per Spotrac. If they really wanted to pull off a Watson sign-and-trade… it would be hypothetically possible from a money standpoint.
Denver Nuggts
Look, it’s very possible Watson just stays in Denver on a brand-new deal. Who knows at this point?
Denver, CO
City of Denver says images of piling waste a case of illegal dumping
DENVER (KDVR) – A Denver Park Hill Resident says trash in her alley hasn’t been picked up by city-run waste collection in more than 2 months.
“It’s starting to be frustrating because that pile has been there 2.5 months, and I’m not kidding about that,” Andrea Sanders-Childs said.
A spokesperson for Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) says they did receive a call about the address on Krameria in mid-June and are investigating the case as ‘illegal dumping’ versus ‘missed collection.’
The DOTI spokesperson says more information will be available when the inspector assigned to the area returns on Wednesday.
Sanders-Childs said that the people who live in the home closest to the mess had actually rented a dumpster; however, it was eventually picked up and towed away.
In the meantime, for Denver residents, DOTI provided FOX31 with the following reminders:
- Carts that are overfilled, stuffed or too heavy cannot be emptied
- All trash must be inside the cart, and overflow trash cannot be collected
- To report illegal dumping, call 311
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