Headlines Friday October 17th, 2025
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Nederland fire update, new database for missing indigenous people, Denver signed contract with Flock AI, new study on wildfire smoke deaths Juanita Hurtado
Ned Caribou Fire Update
In a statement released by the county last night, officials say they have not found a cause that led to the fire that burned at Nederland’s Caribou Village shopping center. Investigators have found damage has been incurred by 17 businesses operating at the site of the fire.
The County has announced that all road closures due to the fire have now been lifted.
Denver signed contract with Flock for AI Cameras
The City of Denver signed an automated surveillance drone contract with Flock Safety in early August, but Denver’s Surveillance Technology Task force was only alerted about the contract this past week.
According to 9News, the task force was created by Denver Mayor Mike Johnston after the city council voted against an initial contract extension for previous Flock Safety surveillance work in Denver. This new contract comes as Denver’s initial contract would have terminated by the end of this month.
The current version of the contract sits just below the $500,000 threshold that allows Mayor Johnston to sign the
In the contract obtained by 9News, negotiators outline that Denver will have access to the Flock Aerodrome system for one year. Flock Drones will also be connected with the surveillance company’s automated license plate reader systems, gunshot detection sensors, and the city’s 911 dispatch system.
In a comment, the Denver Police Department said the task force was not given the contract as the contract is new, though the contract was dated in August.
Governor Polis pushes for a public health alliance among states
Governor Polis is teaming up with governors from 14 states to create a Public Health Alliance. Its purpose is to act as a hub to share data and best health practices. Partners will also collaborate on emergency responses and technical issues, like vaccine policy. The alliance doesn’t include any states from our region, but it does include California, Oregon and Washington. Polis says the alliance will help the state stay informed and deliver consistent messaging around public health. Its formation is in part a response to uncertainty and diminished resources out of Washington D.C.
Navajo Technical University creates a database system for missing indigenous people
The new database is designed as a hub for documenting and tracking cases as well as supporting families affected by the crisis of missing and murdered Diné relatives.
The Missing and Murdered Dine Relatives Task Force, which is working with the university on the project, says the database will bring real-time updates and bridge the gap between families and agencies in cases of missing and murdered relatives.
The Task Force says the current process for public data on missing persons, through the FBI’s National Crime Information Center, is often delayed and incomplete, especially when tribal jurisdictions overlap with state and federal ones.
The database will be hosted on tribal servers to protect sovereign data. Navajo Technical University is training Diné students in software engineering and data analysis as part of the project.
United power developing solar farm near Brush, Colorado
The northern Front Range electric co-op United Power is signing a deal for a 150-megawatt solar farm near Brush, Colorado, expecting federal tax credits for renewable energy projects to expire. The project is an agreement with utility developer Aypa Power, which is a subsidiary of the private equity firm Blackstone, the Colorado Sun reports. United Power calls it a “hyperlocalized electric system” and is banking on local deals as “the future of power production,” according to Mark Gabriel, the president and CEO of United Power.
Wildfire Smoke will Cause Hundreds of Deaths in CO by 2050
A New study in Nature science journals predicts that hundreds of Coloradans will die from wildfire smoke complications annually if stronger climate protections aren’t put in place.
The new research comes as some state lawmakers have shored up new federal funds, 26 million dollars, to reduce wildfire risk. According to Axios Denver, those funds come from 5.5 billion dollar Bipartisan Infrastructure Law designated for forest management and fire preparedness.
The Nature published study used data from 20 years of fire records in the U.S – experts told Asxios Boulder this is the most wide reaching study to date. .The study also predicted death rates from wildfires in their worst case scenario could be in the thousands if fires aren’t mitigated in the future.
