Thousands of frightened residents in Colorado were 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.
Near the intersection of North Foothills Highway & Middle Fork Road, you will find Middle Fork Fire north of Boulder.
The Marshall Fire is south of Boulder close to the intersection of South Cherryvale Road and Marshall Drive. It is not known what the size of these fires are.
Authorities announced that all residents of Superior (a town with approximately 4,000 homes) were instructed to leave. The South Boulder Recreation Center and the Lafayette YMCA were designated as evacuation points. Longmont Senior Center was also recommended.
Louisville residents have been directed to evacuate as soon as possible. The The South Boulder Recreation Center is serving as an evacuation site.
This morning, there were two wildfires that erupted near Boulder Colorado. They started after powerful winds brought down power lines and caused explosions of transformers.
Louisville and Superior have already been ordered to evacuate. Boulder County residents were warned to evacuate immediately if there are flames.
As the fire, winds and fire continue to rage, thousands are left without power.
According to the Louisville Police Department, if you need evacuation assistance, it is best to head north or east. According to Louisville Police Department, do not leave the South.
The dangerous winds continued to push the fires forward, creating huge smoke plumes. On Thursday morning, the National Weather Service recorded an “extraordinary” gust of wind that reached 105 mph south of Boulder’s limit.
Jennifer Churchill from Boulder County stated that residents who are able to see the fire should evacuate as soon as possible. To protect themselves from the smoke, all local residents were asked to shut their windows.
Jared Polis of Colorado posted this tweet: “Prayers for the thousands of families that are fleeing from the flames in Superior County. All aircraft have been grounded as fast winds spread flames rapidly.
Denver International Airport was placed in ground delay, meaning that flights will be delayed at least forty minutes.
Boulder activated the Emergency Operations Center in an effort to assist residents during the emergency.
Multiple buildings were reportedly set ablaze. Many people lost power due to intense winds that sent power lines plunging to the ground.
Xcel Energy reported more than 48 power outages affecting close to 4,700 customers, Fox 31 reported.
Superior’s Costco Store was evacuated when fires raged towards the store on Thursday afternoon.
Gray smoke was filling the entryway and blocking the view, leading to a large crowd of customers leaving the store.
Colorado State Patrol shut down Highway 93, between Highway 58 & Highway 128, Highway 36 & US 36. They also noted that “several high-profile vehicles were blown over by the wind.”
University of Colorado Boulder Facilities Management stated that several trees and branches were blown over on campus by winds.