The person killed in the Stone Canyon fire that scorched 1,557 acres in Boulder County in July, destroying five homes near Lyons, has been identified after a nine-month investigation, sheriff’s officials announced Tuesday.
Human remains found in the 2600 block of Eagle Ridge Road most likely belonged to 74-year-old Kevin James Tracy, according to the Boulder County Coroner’s Office.
Tracy could not be identified through DNA, but investigators used “compelling circumstantial evidence” from Tracy’s family, local businesses, financial institutions and the federal government to identify him, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
The fire started in or near the home where Tracy’s remains were found before spreading to nearby trees and brush, sheriff’s officials said.
Local, state and federal officials ruled out lightning as a cause, but investigations by the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives did not turn up another explanation, according to the sheriff’s office.
The cause of the Stone Canyon Fire is now classified as undetermined.
Flames spread quickly after the fire started the afternoon of July 30, growing to more than 1,000 acres within hours and forcing evacuations in and around Lyons.
The Stone Canyon Fire was one of several wildfires burning across Colorado’s Front Range that week, charring 15,000 acres and damaging or destroying 50 buildings.
Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day.