Footage of fires burning in Superior, Colorado
DENVER (Colorado, US), Dec 31 (NNN-Xinhua) — After only five hours of burning on Thursday, the Marshall fire in Boulder County, Colorado, engulfed some 600 homes and became the most devastating wildfire in the state’s history.
“This is catastrophic,” said ABC News, pointing at flames licking the dark skies.
Wind blasts of 110 miles per hour took down power lines and ignited parched field grass below, according to the National Weather Service.
As winds continued blowing in the afternoon, the fire swept unchecked through affluent subdivisions in the Louisville area before heading south to nearby Superior, according to fire officials, who admitted the speed of the blaze had caught them unprepared.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis declared a state of emergency Thursday afternoon as thousands of local residents were ordered to evacuate.
“Tens of thousands of people in the area have been evacuated and hundreds of structures, both homes and businesses, were lost,” Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle told a press conference, adding the blaze has consumed 1,600 acres.
No casualties had been reported as of 6 p.m. (0100 GMT Friday), but Pelle warned that with a fire of this magnitude and speed, he would not be surprised if injuries or fatalities were later discovered.
Fire crews from metro Denver and Boulder have been called into the Boulder County area to assist.
US media estimated that homes in the Louisville area averaged 862,000 US dollars, while the median Superior home cost is 775,000 dollars.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs, according to NBC News. — NNN-AGENCIES
