The wildfire raging in Boulder County is thought to be the most destructive in Colorado’s history as hundreds of homes were devastated and thousands fled in fear.

According to TheSun, There were fears of a potential hazmat emergency as flames edged toward a property with liquid nitrogen tanks. At least 550 homes have been destroyed – making the Marshall wildfire the most destructive in Colorado history. Officials expect the number of homes destroyed to rise.

The previous record was the Black Forest Fire of 2013 where just under 500 homes burned to the ground, KRDO reports. More than 30,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes in Superior and Louisville on Thursday.


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Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle called it “a harrowing day in Boulder County.” According to FOX31, With gusts reaching at least 105 mph, the winds — paired with extremely dry conditions — sparked two significant fires in the county.

The Middle Fork Fire was reported just before 10:30 a.m. near North Foothills Highway and Middle Fork Road, but it was attacked quickly and under monitoring by late afternoon with no structures were reported lost, Pelle said.

The Marshall Fire was reported just after 11 a.m. at South Foothills Highway and Marshall Road. It grew and spread quickly throughout the day, reaching around 1,600 acres by 5 p.m. Mandatory evacuations were issued in Louisville, Superior, and unincorporated Boulder County.

TWC reported that the fires burned through strips of neighborhoods in Superior and Louisville, suburbs about 20 miles northwest of Denver. “Just hard. So many memories,” Superior resident Cathy Glaab told The Associated Press Friday, holding her head as she took in the scene.

The home she shares with her husband, Richard, was left in a charred and twisted pile of debris, one of seven houses in a row destroyed. Despite the devastation, they intend to rebuild. Another area resident, Mark Smith, said his family also lost all they owned.”

Just got word that every material possession we had today is now gone,” Smith tweeted. “Our home,  cars, and everything we had in our home lost to the fires that ripped through our community. Thank you to those who reached out. Processing how to completely start over and grateful for our health.”