Traditional gas and particle phase chemical markers used to identify the presence of biomass burning (BB) emissions were measured for a large forest fire near Boulder, Colorado. Correlation of the organic matter mass spectroscopic <i>m</i>/<i>z</i> 60 with measured particle light absorption properties found no link at 532 nm, and a strong correlation at 404 nm. Non-black carbon absorption at 404 nm was well correlated to the ratio of the mass fractions of particulate organic matter (POM) that was <i>m</i>/<i>z</i> 60 (<i>f</i><sub>60</sub>) to <i>m</i>/<i>z</i> 44 (<i>f</i><sub>44</sub>). The <i>f</i><sub>60</sub> to <i>f</i><sub>44</sub> ratio did not fully explain the variability in non-BC absorption, due to contributions of brown carbon (BrC) absorption and absorption due to internal mixing of POM with black carbon (BC). The absorption Ångstrom exponent (<i>Å</i><sub>Abs</sub>) showed a good correlation to <i>f</i><sub>60</sub>/<i>f</i><sub>44</sub>; however the best correlation resulted from the mass absorption efficiency (MAE) of BrC at 404 nm (MAE<sub>POM-404 nm</sub>) and <i>f</i><sub>60</sub>/<i>f</i><sub>44</sub>. This result indicates that the absorption of POM at low visible and UV wavelengths is linked to emissions of organic matter that contribute to the <i>m</i>/<i>z</i> 60 mass fragment, although they do not contribute to 532 nm absorption. <i>m</i>/<i>z</i> 60 is often attributed to levoglucosan and related compounds. The linear relationship between MAE<sub>POM-404 nm</sub> and <i>f</i><sub>60</sub>/<i>f</i><sub>44</sub> suggests that the strength of BrC absorption for this fire can be predicted by emissions of <i>f</i><sub>60</sub>-related organic matter.