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Breaking news: Pearl Fire reported northwest of Fort Collins, crews dispatched

Sam Hutton, News Editor

September 16, 2024

Collegian | Trin Bonner

Editor’s Note: This is an ongoing breaking news story. Updates will be provided as they become available.

Update: Sept. 18

Larimer County Sheriff’s Office officials confirmed Sept. 17 that hand lines have been established along the eastern front of the fire. Officials estimate the fire at 128 acres with 5% containment.

Voluntary evacuation orders for residents north of County Road 80C to the state line have been lifted, and mandatory evacuation orders for residents from the Black Mountain north region have been changed to voluntary.

Sept. 16

A wildfire burning near Red Feather Lakes northwest of Fort Collins in Larimer County has been reported, prompting responses from multiple local agencies. Mandatory evacuation orders for the Crystal Lakes subdivision have been issued.

Mandatory evacuation orders have also been put in place for residents in the County Road 86 and CR170 areas as well as for Crystal Lakes residents north of Black Mountain to the Colorado state line.

According to the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, the Pearl Fire is active south of Black Mountain and north of Lake Erie — approximately an hour’s drive from Fort Collins.

Out of precaution, the nearby Red Feather Lakes Elementary School dismissed students early, and a large animal evacuation center has been established at The Ranch fairgrounds and event complex in Loveland, Colorado.

Air resources have been ordered in response to the fire. Current air resources include three air tankers and three helicopters.

Voluntary evacuation orders have been released for Crystal Lakes residents in the area of Lake Erie and Mitchell Ditch.

More updates will be provided as they become available.

Reach Sam Hutton at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @Sam_Hut14.

About the Contributors

Sam Hutton, News Editor

Entering his third year at The Collegian, Sam Hutton is currently a news editor, a role he couldn't be more proud to step into. Hutton has over two years of news reporting experience under his belt, largely comprised of student government coverage. Opinionated to no end, Hutton is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in political science with a concentration in U.S. politics, and he plans to work as a public administrator after his time at Colorado State University. He's honored to be acting in his position as news editor and hopes to continue improving as a writer, colleague and student every day. Hutton is from Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is thrilled to be a part of the Fort Collins and CSU communities, although a part of him will always miss the backdrop of Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak. Mindful of The Collegian's long-established tradition of high-quality and fact-based news reporting, Hutton is especially excited to be acting as news editor during a national presidential election. He plans to apply what he's learned during his time at CSU and The Collegian to ensure readers are properly and fairly informed. He's reassured by the incredible team of journalists around him and is eager to see what The Collegian can accomplish next.

Trin Bonner, Illustration Director

Trin Bonner is the illustration editor for The Collegian newspaper. This will be her fourth year in the position, and she loves being a part of the creative and amazing design team of The Collegian. As the illustration editor, Bonner provides creative insight and ideas that bring the newspaper the best graphics and illustrations possible. She loves working with artists to develop fun and unique weekly illustrations for readers. She enjoys helping the illustrators on her desk explore and expand their artistic abilities as well as challenge their skills with every edition. Bonner is a senior studying graphic design and electronic art and is also a community coordinator for Aggie Village Apartments on Colorado State University's campus. She finds immense joy in illustration and comic creation. She hopes to explore more in the realm of graphic design and video game design as she approaches the end of her undergraduate experience. Trin spends her free time crocheting, doing beadwork and playing guitar when she’s not working on illustrations or acting as community coordinator, though she spends much of her free time sketching and brainstorming her next webcomic. Bonner finds that making people laugh and smile through her art is incredibly fulfilling and is excited to continue to bring her love for illustration and art to The Collegian.

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