Photo: RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty ImagesThousands of people in Colorado have been forced to flee their homes after a massive wildfire broke out in the Boulder County area of the state Thursday morning.Around 30,000 people were told to evacuate from Boulder and Jefferson County as the fire burned through about 1,600 acres,CNNreports. The towns of Louisville and Superior were both evacuated.Gov. Jared Polisdeclared a state of emergencyThursday allowing him to bring in the Colorado National Guard and use disaster emergency funds. According toThe New York Times, Polis said 110 mile-per-hour gusts of wind helped fuel the fires.“This fire is, frankly, a force of nature,” he said during a Thursday news conference, per theTimes. “For those who have lost everything that they’ve had, know that we will be there for you to help rebuild your lives.“RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty ImagesMultiple fires broke out in Boulder County, with two large blazes forming the Marshall and Middle Fork fires, according to theTimes. The Marshall Fire emerged as the more destructive of the two, and the Middle Fork Fire was quickly “laid down,” Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said during a news conference, per CNN.Officials have yet to determine the exact cause of the blazes, but the sheriff said downed power lines may have sparked the Marshall Fire, according to CNN.Over 500 homes were lost in the fire, Pelle said. About 370 homes were destroyed in Superior, and an additional 210 homes in Old Town Superior.David Zalubowski/AP/ShutterstockAs of Friday, one first responder and six others were injured from the fire, Pelle said, per the BBC. He noted that more casualties were expected.“This is the kind of fire we can’t fight head on,” Pelle said, perThe Guardian. “We actually had deputy sheriffs and firefighters in areas that had to pull out because they just got overrun.“He added that he had “never seen anything like” Thursday’s fire, which he described as a “a horrific event.“As of Friday morning, winds in the Boulder County area dipped to below 20 mph, and the area is expecting heavy snowfall under a winter weather warning, CNN reports.The U.S. Drought Monitorshows extreme and severe drought in the Boulder County area, where the fires broke out. Scientists have warned ofclimate change as a causefor wildfires in the West, which have become increasingly common and grown in scale in recent years.
Photo: RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Thousands of people in Colorado have been forced to flee their homes after a massive wildfire broke out in the Boulder County area of the state Thursday morning.Around 30,000 people were told to evacuate from Boulder and Jefferson County as the fire burned through about 1,600 acres,CNNreports. The towns of Louisville and Superior were both evacuated.Gov. Jared Polisdeclared a state of emergencyThursday allowing him to bring in the Colorado National Guard and use disaster emergency funds. According toThe New York Times, Polis said 110 mile-per-hour gusts of wind helped fuel the fires.“This fire is, frankly, a force of nature,” he said during a Thursday news conference, per theTimes. “For those who have lost everything that they’ve had, know that we will be there for you to help rebuild your lives.“RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty ImagesMultiple fires broke out in Boulder County, with two large blazes forming the Marshall and Middle Fork fires, according to theTimes. The Marshall Fire emerged as the more destructive of the two, and the Middle Fork Fire was quickly “laid down,” Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said during a news conference, per CNN.Officials have yet to determine the exact cause of the blazes, but the sheriff said downed power lines may have sparked the Marshall Fire, according to CNN.Over 500 homes were lost in the fire, Pelle said. About 370 homes were destroyed in Superior, and an additional 210 homes in Old Town Superior.David Zalubowski/AP/ShutterstockAs of Friday, one first responder and six others were injured from the fire, Pelle said, per the BBC. He noted that more casualties were expected.“This is the kind of fire we can’t fight head on,” Pelle said, perThe Guardian. “We actually had deputy sheriffs and firefighters in areas that had to pull out because they just got overrun.“He added that he had “never seen anything like” Thursday’s fire, which he described as a “a horrific event.“As of Friday morning, winds in the Boulder County area dipped to below 20 mph, and the area is expecting heavy snowfall under a winter weather warning, CNN reports.The U.S. Drought Monitorshows extreme and severe drought in the Boulder County area, where the fires broke out. Scientists have warned ofclimate change as a causefor wildfires in the West, which have become increasingly common and grown in scale in recent years.
Thousands of people in Colorado have been forced to flee their homes after a massive wildfire broke out in the Boulder County area of the state Thursday morning.
Around 30,000 people were told to evacuate from Boulder and Jefferson County as the fire burned through about 1,600 acres,CNNreports. The towns of Louisville and Superior were both evacuated.
Gov. Jared Polisdeclared a state of emergencyThursday allowing him to bring in the Colorado National Guard and use disaster emergency funds. According toThe New York Times, Polis said 110 mile-per-hour gusts of wind helped fuel the fires.
“This fire is, frankly, a force of nature,” he said during a Thursday news conference, per theTimes. “For those who have lost everything that they’ve had, know that we will be there for you to help rebuild your lives.”
RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Multiple fires broke out in Boulder County, with two large blazes forming the Marshall and Middle Fork fires, according to theTimes. The Marshall Fire emerged as the more destructive of the two, and the Middle Fork Fire was quickly “laid down,” Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said during a news conference, per CNN.
Officials have yet to determine the exact cause of the blazes, but the sheriff said downed power lines may have sparked the Marshall Fire, according to CNN.
Over 500 homes were lost in the fire, Pelle said. About 370 homes were destroyed in Superior, and an additional 210 homes in Old Town Superior.
David Zalubowski/AP/Shutterstock
As of Friday, one first responder and six others were injured from the fire, Pelle said, per the BBC. He noted that more casualties were expected.
“This is the kind of fire we can’t fight head on,” Pelle said, perThe Guardian. “We actually had deputy sheriffs and firefighters in areas that had to pull out because they just got overrun.”
He added that he had “never seen anything like” Thursday’s fire, which he described as a “a horrific event.”
As of Friday morning, winds in the Boulder County area dipped to below 20 mph, and the area is expecting heavy snowfall under a winter weather warning, CNN reports.
The U.S. Drought Monitorshows extreme and severe drought in the Boulder County area, where the fires broke out. Scientists have warned ofclimate change as a causefor wildfires in the West, which have become increasingly common and grown in scale in recent years.
source: people.com
