Goat Trail Fire Near Hawthorne Avenue 100% Contained, Evacuations Lifted

An early morning wildfire near west Boulder prompted evacuation warnings on Wednesday before firefighters quickly contained the blaze.

The Goat Trail Fire was reported around 3 a.m. April 8, burning roughly 500 feet west of Hawthorne Avenue near 4th Street, according to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office. Initial estimates placed the fire between two and three acres, but a later drone assessment revised the size to about 1.93 acres.

Authorities issued an evacuation warning for areas west of the 200 block of Hawthorne Avenue, and Boulder Police officers went door-to-door in nearby neighborhoods, including Acorn Lane, advising residents to prepare to leave if conditions worsened.

Officials said residents who needed extra time — particularly those requiring medical equipment or medications — were encouraged to begin evacuating early.

Multiple agencies responded to the fire, including Boulder Fire-Rescue, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, Boulder Police Department, Jamestown Fire Protection District, and Sunshine Fire Protection District.

By 8:30 a.m., evacuation warnings were lifted, and residents were allowed to return home. Fire officials reported the blaze was 100% contained as of 9:20 a.m.

“Anytime we issue a warning, we always tell people, if you need to gather your medical equipment or medication or you need a little extra time, even though things are looking a little bit better right now, we want to make sure people are ready,” Vinny Montez with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office said.

Officials also noted that dry conditions and unseasonably warm temperatures in the foothills increase wildfire risk this time of year.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Residents looking for real-time wildfire alerts can monitor incidents through services such as the Watch Duty app, which tracks active fires and emergency updates across the region.

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