Updated at 1:48 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025
Firetrucks arrived at Cheesman Park on two separate occasions on New Year's Day to extinguish fires burning near the pavilion.
Videos and photos posted on various social media platforms Wednesday showed a tall flame and billow of smoke just behind the Cheesman Park Pavilion in broad daylight.
Later that day, identical footage was posted, this time against the backdrop of Denver’s night sky.
Two Rocky Mountain Juniper trees caught fire, but only one had to be removed, according to Denver Parks and Recreation.
"... Our forestry team was able to carefully remove one of the trees this morning. The other tree remains healthy enough to not have to be removed," said Stephanie Figueroa, a spokesperson with Denver Parks and Recreation.
In both instances, Denver firefighters arrived and quickly extinguished the flames before they spread to more trees.
Luis Cedillo, public information officer for Denver Fire, said both fires had already spread to multiple trees and bushes by the time they arrived. The incidents were being investigated as arson, but results were inconclusive.
“I was told from our arson investigators that it's undetermined and just no more details to give at this point,” Cedillo said.
A Denverite reporter observed a Denver Parks and Recreation crew removing the charred remains of two burned trees from behind the Cheesman Park Pavilion on Thursday morning.
Editor's Note: A previous version of this story said multiple trees had been removed from Cheesman. Denver Parks and Recreation has now confirmed only one was removed.
