Colorado’s governor has issued a state of emergency as two wildfires sweep the grasslands around Boulder, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people and destroying an estimated 300 homes.
According to Daily Mail, Six people were taken to hospital with burns said Kelli Christensen, a spokeswoman for UC Health in Broomfield, speaking to The Colorado Sun. Thousands of frightened residents have been ordered to evacuate after strong winds downed power lines and caused a transformer to explode, sparking two fast-moving grass fires, according to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.
The Middle Fork Fire is north of Boulder near the intersection of North Foothills Highway and Middle Fork Road. The Marshall Fire is south of Boulder close to the intersection of South Cherryvale Road and Marshall Drive. The size of the fires has not been confirmed, but some estimates put the Marshall Fire at 1,200 acres.
All residents of Superior, a total of about 4,000 households, have been instructed to evacuate, authorities announced. Evacuees were directed to the South Boulder Recreation Center – where the power has now been knocked out – the Lafayette YMCA, or the Longmont Senior Center.
The Denver Post stated: “We are literally watching it burn,” Folsom said. “This is devastating for our people.” Dolphins’ Jerome Baker named AFC Defensive Player of the Month; Nik Needham still has pick-six ball and Thursday updates “Boulder County Office of Emergency Management has just announced an Evacuation Order for ALL of Superior, Colorado residents,” the town said on Twitter.
“Evacuation point is the South Boulder Recreation Center. The Superior Community Center is not an official evacuation location.” The fast-moving fires had emergency responders scrambling, shutting down highways as flames jumped the roads. Several structures have burned in the fires and responders went door to door in some areas to help people evacuate their homes.
At one point in the afternoon, Boulder County officials asked the public to stop calling 911 to report trees toppling and vehicles being blown over. Gov. Jared Polis “declared a state of emergency” because of the dangerous, wind-whipped grass fires.
“The declaration allows the state to access disaster emergency funds to support the emergency response efforts in Boulder and provide state resources including the use of the Colorado National Guard, Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control and activation of the State Emergency Operations Center,” Polis said in a news release.
