Abandoned campfire causes wildfire near Twin Lakes

TWIN LAKES, Colo. (KRDO) — A U.S. Forest Service (USFS) fire investigator has determined that the Interlaken Fire, burning near Twin Lakes, originated from an abandoned campfire.

The USFS said the campfire was located approximately 200 feet from the Interlaken Trail and 1.5 miles from the trailhead. The campfire was not properly extinguished and continued to burn. Investigators believe the campfire was abandoned several days before it was reported on June 11, 2024.

The agency said officials currently have no leads on who started the fire. The Lake County Sheriff's Office and USFS will use a tip line and other information platforms to identify potential suspects.

If you have information regarding campers experiencing a fire near Interlaken Station between June 7, 2024 and June 11, 2024, please call the Tip Line at (303) 275-5266.

As of Wednesday morning, June 12, the Interlaken Fire was 413 acres.

Several trail and road closures are currently in place, including the Interlaken trailhead and parking area, the Willis Gulch Trail, the Sheep Gulch Trail, the Colorado Trail segments in the Twin Lakes area, the forest road 399 and scattered camping around the lake. Developed campgrounds are still open in the region. Pre-evacuation advisories are in place for the Lost Canyon, Cache Creek and Clear Creek areas.