Fire Resources

We know that many of our students, faculty and staff have been affected by recent fires, including the Stone Canyon Fire, Lake Shore Fire, Alexander Mountain Fire and Quarry Fire, and our university will do everything we can to provide support. We will add resources and updates to this page as they become available.

For CU Boulder community members impacted by the fires

Stone Canyon Fire or Lake Shore Fire

Boulder County residents affected should monitor the Boulder Office of Emergency Management website for updates and resources.

• To receive text alerts, text BOCOinfo to 888777.
• Follow @BoulderOEM on X (formerly Twitter).
• View a map of the Stone Canyon Fire evacuation area.

The Stone Canyon Fire public information call center's hours are available at https://boulderodm.gov/. The phone number is 303-413-7730. 

Alexander Mountain Fire

Larimer County residents affected should monitor nocoalert.org for updates and resources. The phone number is 970-980-2500. 

• Sign up for emergency alerts at NOCOALERT.org. 
• Text the word LCEVAC to 888777 to receive text message alerts about evacuation notices, animal evacuations, road closures, and other important updates.

Quarry Fire

Jefferson County residents affected should sign up for alerts at the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office website. The fire information hotline is 303-271-8200. 

The first priority in any emergency situation is safety. Beyond physical safety, unexpected natural disasters such as the one we are experiencing in and around the Boulder region can be devastating to our well-being. These events may additionally cause significant disruption to our lives or lives of those we care about.

Financial assistance

CU Boulder students who need emergency support should reach out to the Student Emergency Fund. Staff and faculty impacted may apply for emergency funds via the Staff & Faculty Emergency Fund.

For housing and food assistance

If community members want to rent hotel rooms for short-term housing needs, some hotels offer CU faculty and staff a CU rate if they use their CU Boulder Buff OneCard through the Preferred Hotel Program. Payment must be on a personal credit card (not a P-Card or Travel Card).

• Students who are impacted by the fires and have not yet received further information about resources from the Dean of Students Office, please reach out to deanofstudents@colorado.edu
• A mobile food pantry will be available on August 8 from 2-4 p.m. Students with emergency housing or food needs should contact the Basic Needs Center at 303-735-9938 or basicneeds@colorado.edu. The pantry is also accepting donations.

Work and academic accommodations

Colorado is having an active fire season and employers may need to grant employees accommodations more frequently than usual.

Employees and graduate students with teaching appointments in need of work or leave accommodations should contact their supervisors directly.

Students displaced by the fire should contact their instructors and if they need further assistance, should contact Student Support and Case Management.

Teaching assistants should contact the instructor of record for their class.

Graduate part time instructors should contact their chair, director or associate dean.

The Office of Information Technology’s Hybrid Work Recommendations page has resources and best practices for transitioning to hybrid work.

For counseling and advocacy

It is perfectly common to experience a heightened sense of worry and alertness. If you are finding that your worries are impacting your functioning, are directly impacted by these fires, or looking for support around processing these events, it can be helpful to reach out to a close friend, trusted community leader or professional counselor.

• The Office of Victim Assistance (OVA) is available to all CU Boulder community members (students, staff and faculty) directly or witnessing traumatic and/or life disruptive events, like fires, and provides free, confidential trauma-specific counseling, advocacy, and information. OVA's phone lines is available 24/7 at 303-492-8855.
• Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) provides free, confidential mental health services for students. CAPS's phone line is also available 24/7 at 303-492-2277.
• The Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) offers counseling and consulting services to employees, both in-person and via telehealth. FSAP can be reached at 303-492-3020.

Recovery and needs after fires and other disasters can vary. The university and campus community will support in the ways that we can.

Leave

Individuals impacted by fires should review the Leave Options in Event of a Natural Disaster or Local Emergency Page.

Many employees are asking how to donate leave to the Leave Sharing Program or directly to a colleague. The leave sharing fund is currently healthy and no additional donations are needed at this time. Direct donation to an individual is not an available option. 

For community members who want to help

For those who want to donate to people in need during this time, you can directly support CU Boulder community members by donating to the Staff & Faculty Emergency Fund, the Student Emergency Fund or the Basic Needs Center.

FSAP has created a list of 9 tips for helping those lost their homes.

Transportation

For those in need of transportation, CU Boulder can help. If you need a bike on campus, please email bicycle@colorado.edu. For other bike options around town, visit Boulder Mountain Bike Alliance. There is also free access for CU students to Boulder BCycle.

FAQs