Boulder County, Colo. - The Stone Canyon Fire, which started on July 30, 2024, outside of the town of Lyons in unincorporated Boulder County, unfortunately resulted in the fatality of one person whose remains were found in the 2600 block of Eagle Ridge Road.

Detectives with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office have one reported missing 74-year-old male, who lived in one of the homes that was destroyed by the fire. Detectives have tracked all leads to find the missing man, but unfortunately, they have not been able to find him.

At the same time, the Boulder County Coroner’s Office is working on identifying the remains of one unidentified person whose remains were found within the fire perimeter. The Coroner’s Office has said that the identification process presents significant challenges due to the condition of the remains. The Coroner’s Office is working closely with forensic experts and law enforcement to address these complexities and expedite the identification process.

We will not automatically conclude that the missing male, and the unidentified person whose remains were found, are one in the same. We will do our due diligence and use all scientific and investigative tools and resources available to us to positively confirm the identity of the remains. We do not want to release the name of the missing man until the identity of the decedent is confirmed, out of respect for the family of the decedent.

The investigation into the cause of the Stone Canyon Fire remains on-going. The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office has asked for assistance of trained fire investigators, who are still working through evidence, and we are waiting on their reports. Once we have more information, we will release it.

We know that the identification of the person who died in the fire, as well as the cause of the fire, are of great interest to the community, however, we will take all the time needed to ensure that we do not release incorrect information regarding an on-going investigation. Our goal is to conduct a thorough investigation and to be respectful to the family who lost a loved one and to those who lost their homes in the fire.

The associated Boulder County Sheriff's Office case number for the fatality investigation is 24-03843. The case number for the fire investigation and missing person is 24-03829.

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/s/ Carrie Haverfield, Sr. Communications Specialist