SILVER PLUME, Colo. — Firefighters battled a fully engulfed house fire in the small Clear Creek County community of Silver Plume that also sparked a small brush fire Sunday afternoon.
No injuries were reported.
Firefighters were called to the home around 2:50 p.m. to find the structure fully engulfed, with smoke and flames visible from Interstate 70, impacting traffic on a busy ski weekend.
Several agencies, including Clear Creek Fire Authority, Evergreen Fire/Rescue, and Gilpin Fire, responded to the large blaze on the north side of the interstate.
Hours later, the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office reported that the blaze spread to nearby brush, causing a small brush fire.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Coloradans making a difference | Denver7 featured videos
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what’s right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.
MESA COUNTY, Colo. — It was a terrifying moment for drivers on eastbound Interstate 70 in Mesa County Saturday morning after large boulders slammed down onto the road surface, forcing the closure of the eastbound lanes through De Beque Canyon.
Passenger Yudic Cibrian Leon captured video of the impact, later posted to Facebook, showing a burst of dust erupting across the highway and briefly wiping out visibility.
There were no reports of injuries.
The Colorado Department of Transportation closed eastbound I-70 between Exit 47 and Exit 49, and diverted traffic onto Highway 65.
However, the eastbound lanes reopened later in the morning.
Watch Leon’s video in the player below:
Rockslide closes EB I-70 in De Beque Canyon
Coloradans making a difference | Denver7 featured videos
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what’s right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.
DENVER — A holiday reminder from CDOT: You are going to have a lot of company on the roads this week.
A look at last year’s numbers, provided by CDOT.
CDOT
CDOT expects similar numbers this week.
Denver7 anchor Shannon Ogden spoke with Chuck Marsh, CDOT’s regional communications manager for northwest Colorado.
“If they’re planning to travel from point a to point b to c and back again we want them to do it safely. And a lot of this really comes down to them. To basically making sure that you are in a vehicle that is road-worthy. Make sure your tires are good. Make sure your brakes are good,” said Marsh.
The state has a useful website and app to help plan your trip. It shows crashes, road closures, and road conditions.
There is a lot of good information on there. You can go on through and see layers. They can see what the conditions look like. They can see where our plows are. They can see if there are traffic incidents,” said Marsh.
To help ease congestion, CDOT will suspend construction projects statewide by noon on Wednesday, Dec. 24, and Wednesday, Dec. 31. No work is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 25 and Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. In addition, there will be no lane closures on the I-70 Floyd Hill.
The state is also reminding skiers and snowboarders of the Snowstang and Bustang service. The Snowstang bus service runs on the holiday weekends, with round-trip express service to Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, and Loveland Ski Area. Bustang’s main lines travel I-25 from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs, and I-70 from Denver to Grand Junction.
If you see the Safety Patrol or other first responders on the roadside, slow down or move over – it’s the law. The Safety Patrol provides coverage along major highways in Denver and I-25 in Fort Collins and Colorado Springs with Peak Patrol from 6 am to 9:30 am and 2:30 pm to 7 pm.
Off-Peak Patrol is from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm and the Weekend Patrol provides coverage from 10 am to 7 pm.
Denver7
Denver7 | Your Voice: Get in touch with Shannon Ogden
Denver7 evening anchor Shannon Ogden reports on issues impacting all of Colorado’s communities, but specializes in covering local government and politics. If you’d like to get in touch with Shannon, fill out the form below to send him an email.
Westbound lanes of Interstate 70 reopened Thursday morning in Aurora following a crash between Tower Road and Airport Boulevard.
The Colorado Department of Transportation announced the news on social media at approximately 8:47 a.m. Thursday. By 10:42 a.m., CDOT reported the roadway had reopened.
The Aurora Police Department said on X that a vehicle rear-ended a box truck and became stuck underneath it. The “at-fault driver” was taken to the hospital with moderate injuries, police said.
DENVER — Music lovers will soon get to see their favorite artists in a unique venue — underneath Interstate 70 in Denver.
Project 70 is a pop-up music venue located underneath the I-70 bridge near the Denver Coliseum. The venue will open Tuesday with a performance by Turnstile.
Denver7
Don Strasburg, president of AEG Presents Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest, called Project 70 an opportunity for an indoor/outdoors concert space, as the overpass provides cover for concert-goers while keeping the views of the mountains unobstructed.
“A couple of artists were looking for unique ways to do events, and it popped into my head and our team,” Strasburg told Denver7. “The mission’s right here, so we all just basically walked down here and walked around and took some measurements and realized that it would work really well.”
AEG owns and operates several venues, including the Ogden Theatre, Bluebird Theater, Mission Ballroom, and Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater. Strasburg said Project 70 is not a permanent venue, and crews load in and load out the setup.
Maggy Wolanske
“I was inspired. I had seen pictures of this over in Europe and had seen a really cool-looking event,” said Strasburg. ”It looked like an indoor EDM rave kind of event, but it was kind of outdoors too. Then, friends of ours in New York started an event called Under the K Bridge, Under the Kosciuszko Bridge in New York, and it’s been tremendously successful.”
Franz Hilberath, owner of MP3 PR, called this a special setting for people to enjoy music and experience their favorite performers.
“I think with the economy and times being tough, people are really looking at their wallets and deciding, ‘Why should I come out to a show right now or what makes it special?’ And I think, again, to credit AEG, honestly, looking at the situation in the community and what they need most,” Hilberath said.
“I think that the music scene is really very active, very diverse, lots going on,” Matthews told Denver7. “I think that this project happening underneath the freeway tells you that there is a need for more space and more variety of venues, and so I think that this popping up is the market’s attempt to provide another option for us.”
Maggy Wolanske
While Colorado is known for some unique music venues, Matthews said it will be telling to see how concert-goers feel about this pop-up and what it could mean moving forward.
“Red Rocks is so famous for its great acoustics, and then of course, I just mentioned the Colfax venues where sometimes those places can get so loud, it can be a problem for the surrounding neighborhood,” said Matthews. “We’re going to have to see how this place works out in terms of how are the acoustics, how does traffic interact with the music for the audience, and then how does the sound of the performance itself affect the neighborhood around it?”
Strasburg said AEG will soon announce upcoming events for 2026. Chase and Status are set to perform at the underpass venue on Oct. 4.
Denver7
Denver7 | Your Voice: Get in touch with Maggy Wolanske
Denver7’s Maggy Wolanske is a multimedia journalist who covers topics that have an impact across Colorado, but specializes in reporting on climate and environment, as well as stories impacting animals and wildlife. If you’d like to get in touch with Maggy, fill out the form below to send her an email.
GEORGETOWN, Colo. — Georgetown was forced to temporarily close to visitors Saturday afternoon as overwhelming fall foliage traffic created gridlock conditions throughout the mountain town.
For about an hour and a half Saturday afternoon, Clear Creek Sheriff’s deputies turned away traffic from Interstate 70 and Highway 285 heading to Georgetown. Only residents with valid identification were allowed to enter the town during the closure.
Gary Wilkins, a long-time Georgetown resident, watched as cars pass by his home each fall as visitors search for golden aspen leaves. This weekend, however, the typical autumn rush became unmanageable.
“Wasn’t moving. It was gridlock,” said Wilkins. “I think that’s probably the best way to describe it.”
Denver7
Georgetown resident Gary Wilkins speaking with Denver7’s Claire Lavezzorio.
The traffic situation was further complicated by an equipment failure at one of Xcel Energy’s substations, which shut off power for more than 2,200 customers in the Georgetown area Saturday.
The outage forced some restaurants to close for several hours, leaving hungry leaf peepers with nowhere to eat.
Denver7 met Devon Parish and his family, who encountered the roadblock during their leaf-peeping adventure and were initially turned away.
“It was disappointing because my four kids were, they were like, ‘Whoa, what are we gonna have to go back through? Are we gonna go home now?’” Parish said.
Denver7
The family decided to turn back to Bailey for lunch and wait for the town to reopen to traffic.
“We came back through, and it was, it was worth every second of the wait, honestly,” Parish said.
Later in the afternoon, traffic conditions improved and power was restored to all customers.
Denver7
But residents like Wilkins know the fall frenzy is far from over.
“It’s not over yet,” Wilkins said.
Leaf peepers gridlock Georgetown, forcing town to temporarily close to visitors Saturday
Coloradans making a difference | Denver7 featured videos
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what’s right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — A law enforcement shooting in the parking lot of an Evergreen Walmart ended in a crash on Interstate 70 that has shut down all eastbound lanes at Lookout Mountain.
Mark Techmeyer, director of public affairs for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, said the “convoluted situation” began with a stolen Ford F-150 out of Summit County. The owner was tracking the truck and working with the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.
At some point on Thursday, the truck stopped at a Maverik gas station in Clear Creek County. Deputies with the county’s sheriff’s office got involved and tracked the stolen truck to the Walmart in Evergreen just before 5 p.m.
Personnel with the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Colorado State Patrol set up in the Walmart parking lot in order to recover the vehicle.
The driver of the stolen truck reportedly parked, went inside the Walmart, and came back to the vehicle. According to Techmeyer, the suspect started to drive out of the parking lot when Clear Creek deputies and CSP “lit him up in the parking lot,” meaning they turned on their emergency lights and tried to conduct a traffic stop.
The driver reportedly sped up and rammed the law enforcement vehicles. They then backed up and rammed the vehicles “several times,” according to the sheriff’s office spokesperson.
The CSP trooper got out of their cruiser and fired several shots at the driver and the stolen vehicle, according to Techmeyer. No one was hit.
It is unclear if the driver had a weapon or fired shots at law enforcement.
At one point, CSP said the suspect rammed the stolen vehicle into the CSP cruiser’s driver’s side door, causing the door to strike a trooper in the face.
Denver7
The driver eventually took off, and “the chase was on,” Techmeyer said.
The driver went on eastbound Highway 74 before merging onto eastbound I-70. CSP said the trooper who was struck in the face performed a tactical vehicle intervention (TVI) on the stolen truck, causing the driver to crash out near milepost 259. The truck ended up in the emergency truck pull-off area, according to Techmeyer.
The driver suffered injuries from the “ramming” and the crash, Techmeyer said, and was taken to the hospital. The injured trooper was also taken to the hospital.
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office
Even though the truck was off the road, Techmeyer said law enforcement shut down all eastbound lanes of I-70 because a box marked hazardous for radioactive material was found in the back of the truck. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad responded to the scene and determined that the box contained a tool that had radioactive material in it. The tool cannot be moved until the vendor comes out and retrieves it, according to Techmeyer.
Eastbound I-70 has been closed at Lookout Mountain for several hours. CSP said the roadway should reopen in two to four hours.
The First Judicial Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) was activated and will investigate the trooper shooting, while CSP will lead the criminal investigation.
Colorado Department of Transportation
This incident comes one day after a student opened fire at Evergreen High School, critically wounding two of his peers before turning the gun on himself. The shooter died from his self-inflicted injury.
“It’s a lot for this small, tight-knit community in a very small timeframe,” Techmeyer said.
Community members and law enforcement were at a vigil when Thursday’s trooper shooting took place. Techmeyer said the law enforcement presence at the vigil may have contributed to the quick response to the Walmart.
“The bell rings and we come running,” he said.
The sheriff’s office spokesperson did not release the suspect’s identity.
Coloradans making a difference | Denver7 featured videos
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what’s right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.
DENVER — The Fourth of July travel rush is on in Colorado.
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) said drivers should be prepared for additional traffic and longer drive times on mountain highways over the next four days.
To help minimize potential traffic delays, CDOT is suspending all construction and maintenance projects from midday Wednesday until Monday, July 8. The only exception is for emergency operations.
Summer tourism in the high country typically hits its peak over the next six to seven weeks, according to CDOT.
Motorists are strongly encouraged to check the status of the state’s roadways before traveling. Information is available at cotrip.org or CDOT’s social media accounts. Travelers can also call 511.
From the roadways to the sky, those heading to Denver International Airport can also expect some crowds. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 473,000 people over the next six days.
“TSA has been planning for the Fourth of July period for months,” said TSA spokesperson Lorie Dankers. “What I want travelers to know is regardless of what day they’re traveling or regardless of when they’re traveling within the day, it’s going to be extremely busy.”
The Follow Up
What do you want Denver7 to follow up on? Is there a story, topic or issue you want us to revisit? Let us know with the contact form below.
JOHNSTOWN, Colo. — The unofficial summer travel season is off to a busy start in Colorado.
“It’s been touch and go in some spots,” said Keith Roath, who was driving Sunday from Loveland to Denver.
This year, Denver ranks sixth among domestic destinations, according to AAA.
With nearly 38.4 million traveling by car across the country, Roath is one of them.
I-25 travelers make Memorial Day weekend pit stop at busy Buc-ee’s
“I listen to a lot of jazz on Spotify. I turn on some of that, she’ll fall asleep,” laughed Roath, as he motioned to his wife sitting in the passenger seat.
The auto club predicted the Interstate 25 corridor from Fort Collins to Denver would be the most troubling stretch Sunday afternoon. Busy roads also meant a busy Buc-ee’s.
“When I came over the ridge and she said, ‘There it is, it’s Buc-ee’s,’ and I saw the massive amounts of cars. I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Emilie Caulfield, who was on a family road trip from Chicago to Denver.
The Johnstown superstore was full of customers fueling up Sunday.
This Memorial Day weekend, Colorado drivers are paying on average 12 cents less a gallon at the pump compared to last year, according to AAA.
Denver7
Inside the store, travelers stocked up on snacks for the road to make Memorial Day travel, even in traffic, a little sweeter.
“I’ll be honest what brought me here was the gummy bears,” laughed Roath.
The Follow Up
What do you want Denver7 to follow up on? Is there a story, topic or issue you want us to revisit? Let us know with the contact form below.
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — On the day his trial was to start, an off-duty Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy who was accused of causing a multi-vehicle crash that paralyzed a 10-year-old girl, pleaded guilty on two charges.
Jerold Taylor was accused of failing to slow down ahead of stopped traffic on I-70 near Genesee causing the July 15, 2023 crash that paralyzed Lucy Harris.
The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office on Thursday told Denver7 Taylor pleaded guilty to two charges of careless driving resulting in injury, which are misdemeanor charges.
Two other charges of careless driving resulting in injury were dismissed, the DA’s office said.
Both parties agreed that Taylor would not serve jail time but would pay over $3.2 million in restitution, according to the DA.
Peter Harris took this photo of his wife Jennifer’s car after the crash.
A report from the Colorado State Patrol claimed Taylor was distracted by something outside of his vehicle.
Lucy, who attended Taylor’s arraignment hearing, said all she remembered from the crash was being inside her mother’s car as they headed to the mountains and later waking up in a hospital.
“Just to show everyone that, like, I’m in a wheelchair and I’m not the same anymore,” Lucy told Denver7.
Lucy’s father, Peter, said his daughter’s recovery had been difficult but he had been moved by the community’s response to the crash.
“She smiles all the time,” Peter said about Lucy. “She’s a really bright person and she’s going to make it through, and she’s going to be strong and do some amazing things.”
Peter Harris
Lucy Harris, 10, is described as smart, strong, and sassy.
“A lot of people are choosing not to look where they’re going, choosing to put their attention somewhere else and going 70 miles an hour,” said Peter. “Lucy was the one left holding the bag here and it could have been anybody. So, I’m just trying to raise public awareness and make sure there’s accountability.”
Taylor was not on-duty and not driving a sheriff’s office vehicle at the time of the crash.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 7.
10-year-old Colorado girl paralyzed after I-70 crash, family pushing for accountability in case
The Follow Up
What do you want Denver7 to follow up on? Is there a story, topic or issue you want us to revisit? Let us know with the contact form below.
