NEDERLAND, Colo. — There is “no credible evidence” a fire that destroyed nearly two dozen businesses in Nederland last week was intentionally set, deputies with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday.
The initial findings come hours after investigators from several agencies held a briefing to review the state of the investigation into the blaze that engulfed the Caribou Village Shopping Center in Nederland on Oct. 9.
“At this time, there is no credible evidence that the fire was intentionally set,” Boulder County deputies said in a news release late Thursday afternoon. “The final determination of the origin and cause of the fire remains pending, based on the outcome of evidence submitted for laboratory testing and analysis.”
Officials said investigators were applying the scientific method to interpret their findings from the scene in conjunction with all other information collected throughout the investigation.
Investigators have so far conducted multiple interviews, reviewed surveillance footage, analyzed photographs and videos submitted by the public, and completed an excavation of the fire scene to collect and evaluate evidence, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office.
The fire was spotted by a Boulder County Sheriff’s deputy out on patrol in the early hours of Oct. 9. Nederland Fire Rescue, along with other agencies, immediately responded to the scene after the deputy notified dispatch.
Evacuations and road closures along the southern and western portions of Baker Reservoir soon followed. On Thursday, deputies said the remaining road closure along Big Springs Drive, located behind the shopping center, was now open.
Hours after the fire had ripped through the building, Nederland Fire Chief Charlie Schmidtmann told Denver7 the Caribou Village Shopping Center lacked a sprinkler and alarm warning system because of its older construction, saying the lack of those systems “were kind of fighting against us.”
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The fire ended up significantly damaging the south side of the two-story shopping center, with the Carousel of Happiness, located on the west side, sustaining only minor damage. Nearby businesses, including Train Cars Coffee and Kava and B&F Market, were also spared from major damage, deputies said last week.
In all, 18 businesses were lost to the blaze: Nederland Chiropractic & Wellness, Tres Gringos Restaurant, Spinning Silica, O’Neil Rocky Mountain Art, Kaleidoscope Gallery, Linda’s Pizza, Dam Liquor, Tadasana Yoga Studio, Mountain Man Outdoor Store, Very Nice Brewing Co., Columbine Family Care, The Laundry Room, Austina’s Winery, Boulder County Sheriff’s Office Substation, The Shop, Wild Bear Nature Center, Brightwood Music, and Picaso Hair Artistry.
- Denver7 returned to Nederland days after the fire where we learned residents there were turning disaster into determination. Watch our report in the video player below:
The overall investigation remains under the direction of the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tabacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) National Response Team, in collaboration with the Nederland Fire Protection District assigned to determine the origin and cause of the fire.
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