NEDERLAND, Colo. — Fire investigators have not yet determined the cause or origin of the fire at Caribou Village Shopping Center Thursday morning, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office said during a news conference Friday.
Investigators were unable to get into the building, as of Friday morning, according to Nederland Fire Protection District Chief Charlie Schmidtmann. By Saturday, he expected Nederland Public Works to come in with heavy machinery that would help stabilize the building and make it safe to access what's left of the Caribou Village Shopping Center.
- Watch the full press conference in the video player below:
The sheriff's office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) are working together to determine the origin and cause of the fire. The agencies are canvassing the area, conducting interviews, doing research and reviewing videos and photos to try and figure out what happened.
While most all roads have reopened since the fire first happened and the evacuation orders for nearby residents was lifted Thursday morning, one remains closed.
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Nederland business owners devastated by early morning shopping center fire
Big Springs Drive where it intersects with Highway 119, directly behind the Caribou Village Shopping Center, is still shut down to eastbound traffic because it's directly next to the damaged businesses. The Boulder County Sheriff's Office advised anyone who needs to get into the subdivision east of Big Springs and 119 to use Peak View Road up by the Sundance Cafe to gain access.
While the Carousel of Happiness said it hoped to reopen by Saturday at 10 a.m., the Boulder County Sheriff's Office said a decision on if it's safe to do so hasn't been made yet.
The Carousel of Happiness, located on the west side of the Caribou Village Shopping Center, sustained minor damage during the fire. Train Cars Coffee and Kava and B&F Market were also spared from the fire's full effects, but are also waiting for word on when they can welcome visitors again. Approximately 18 businesses were destroyed, according to the Boulder County Sheriff's Office.
Schmidtmann said the damage to those is irreparable.
"Everything will have to be brought up to 2024,code. And they'll have to take it down to bare Earth. Then they'll rebuild from there," Schmidtmann said.
The building was old enough, it wasn't required to have a fire suppression system — like a sprinkler system or fire alarm — installed in new builds now.
"This is an older construction building, not using some of the materials that we use now... hardened materials, things like that. It had covered porches, and it had wooden decks, and, you know, the the entire building was wood, so everything was combustible," Schmidtmann said.
While the Boulder County Sheriff's Office reiterated again Friday that no injuries or missing persons were reported, the impact is deeply felt in the Nederland community in other ways.
"This is a very social and important area to our our community. And so we had everything from a liquor store to a brewery to our Wellness Center and our medical and so all of our volunteers would have some type of relationship to every business in this building," Schmidtmann said of the firefighters who helped put out the blaze.
Anyone with photos or videos of the area before, during or after the fire is asked to email the Boulder County Sheriff's Office at BCSOtips@bouldercounty.gov or call 303-441-2674.
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