Disaster declaration issued for area in Boulder County to mitigate underground coal mine fire

A disaster declaration has been declared for an area in Boulder County to mitigate an underground coal mine fire. 

Authorities say there is no immediate danger, but need the emergency declaration to get work done quickly before spring.

Beneath the scenic hills, just northeast of Marshall and Cherryvale Roads lies an underground threat. The Lewis coal mine fire. 

"We have had additional cracking at the surface," said Jeff Graves, with the Colorado Department of Mining and Safety.

The sheriff's investigation of the Marshall Fire found no evidence that a coal seam may have started the fire, but it was not entirely dismissed. 

Graves sees them as two different matters. 

"We don't believe there is any specific connection between the Marshall site and the Louis site. We did increase monitoring following the Marshall fire," Graves said. 

Burning for more than 50 years, surface temperatures at the Lewis site have increased to around 120 degrees and the fire threatens an irrigation ditch above it, which could cause flooding. 

Dale Case with the Boulder County Department of Planning told CBS News Colorado calling it "an emergency" is appropriate. 

"There is the potential risk for fire. There are houses being built there it is something that has to be dealt with and the disaster declaration," Case said. 

The flames beneath will be doused with soil and rocks to cool it down and mitigate the threat below. 

The work is to begin around October and to be done by next spring.