Fire destroys shopping center in Nederland, investigation set to begin Saturday at earliest
A fire destroyed the Caribou Village Shopping Center in Nederland early Thursday morning. An evacuation order for some Boulder County residents was lifted just before 10 a.m.
According to Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson, a deputy heard the popping and cracking and knew that wasn't typical and saw the building on fire when he went to investigate about 3:40 a.m. About 6:30 a.m., fire crews said the fire at 20 Lakeview Drive had been "knocked out substantially."
"We really want to figure out how the fire started," said Johnson. "Up here in the mountains, there aren't a ton of resources to be utilized for fire investigation, so the fire department as well as the sheriff's office, have requested assistance. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation has specialists who investigate fire, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, which is part of their full-time job, and we also have the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control."
Johnson said no humans were injured in the fire, but there may have been some animals that perished in one of the businesses.
"The amount of destruction this fire caused is shocking," said Johnson. "This is a significant financial resource for the Town of Nederland. All of the businesses in here contribute to the local tax and the local economy. So this is really going to be a significant impact on the town."
According to the Boulder County Sheriff, there were about 20 businesses in the shopping center, including a brewery, a pizza restaurant, an outdoor clothing store, a yoga studio, a laundromat, a music store, a nature center, and others.
The evacuation order was issued for the areas between Peak to Peak and Peakview and Peak to Peak and Bridge west to Highway 119 and Hurricane Hill, and the areas south of 119 between Bridge and Hurricane Hill just before 4 a.m. Residents were allowed to return home about 10 a.m.
There was also a road closure at Big Springs and CO 119, also known as Bridge Street, during the firefight. That road closure remained in place after the evacuation order was lifted.
The public was urged to stay away from the area to allow fire crews access to the shopping center and to investigate what caused the fire. The Boulder County Sheriff said the investigation won't begin in earnest until Saturday because they want to make sure it's safe for investigators. That means waiting until the fire is extinguished, the surface isn't hot to the touch, and the structure is safe for people to be around.
"It's too hot, you can see it's still burning," said Johnson. "There are concerns that it is still unstable."
One couple talked to CBS Colorado, saying they were woken up before 4 a.m. to flames and firetrucks.
"I looked out the living room window and we saw flames and firetrucks," said Nederland resident Rebecca Bean.
"We grabbed the animals and whatever meant to us and got in the car and got to a safe distance," said Riley McAllister. "There's a lot of loss here, but luckily, there's no loss of life that I know of. The community will get together to rebuild."
The building is a total loss, according to Johnson.
The Carousel of Happiness is also located near the shopping center. It was not damaged in the fire, according to the Boulder County Sheriff's Office. Train Car Coffee was also spared any damage from the fire. Both are considered landmarks to the community.
The Boulder Police Department posted on the social media platform X that residents who see smoke in the city should wait to call 911 because it is likely from the Nederland shopping center fire. Crews are scheduled to conduct prescribed burns south of Boulder and near Superior on Thursday, so more smoke is expected in the area.
Nederland gained notoriety with the Frozen Dead Guy Days festival, which has moved in recent years from the small Colorado mountain community to Estes Park. Apparently, the stresses on a town of 1,500 for a festival that attracted -- at the time -- more than 20,000 people became too great.
