Boulder County Sheriff says no evidence Nederland fire was intentionally set
The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday that investigators have yet to find credible evidence that last week’s fire at a shopping center in Nederland was intentionally started.
In the investigation’s first significant public update since the Caribou Village Shopping Center, home to about 20 businesses and the Nederland Police Department, caught fire in the early morning hours of Oct. 9, authorities said that evidence has been submitted for laboratory testing and analysis and that the cause of the fire will be clearer once those results come back, according to a news release from the BCSO.
Additionally, the office listed the businesses that suffered a complete structural loss from the fire in the release:
- Nederland Chiropractic & Wellness
- Tres Gringos Restaurant
- Spinning Silica
- O’Neil Rocky Mountain Art
- Kaleidoscope Gallery
- Linda’s Pizza
- Dam Liquor
- Tadasana Yoga Studio
- Mountain Man Outdoor Store
- Very Nice Brewing Co.
- Columbine Family Care
- The Laundry Room
- Austina’s Winery
- Boulder County Sheriff’s Office Substation
- The Shop
- Wild Bear Nature Center
- Brightwood Music
- Picaso Hair Artistry
Samantha Tindall, animal caretaker at the Wild Bear center, told The Denver Gazette last Friday that Westie, a 20-year-old turtle, and Luna, a 5-year-old ball python, were among the dozens of animals that died in the fire.
“I loved these animals more than anything,” Tindall said. “They were incredible creature teachers and I am so honored to have seen them educate so many people, including myself.”
Unrelated to the fire, the nature center received a $150,000 grant to help build a new nature center, provided they match the funds, 9News reported Thursday. So far, the organization has raised more than $100,000.
To help the businesses affected by the fire, Nederland’s administrator Jon Cain said officials have met with several businesses to ensure they have access to resources and that they are working to expedite the permitting process to make it easier for people to find new spaces to reopen.
The fire remains under investigation by the sheriff’s office, as well as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives National Response Team and the Nederland Fire Protection District, according to the release. Authorities have conducted interviews, reviewed surveillance footage, and analyzed photographs and videos as part of the investigation.
Investigators will provide another update once they have determined the origin and cause of the fire.
Denver Gazette reporter Kyla Pearce and the Denver Gazette’s news partner 9NEWS contributed to this report.




