A Colorado wildfire had raced through more than 8,700 parched, wind-blown acres in less than 24 hours on Sunday, forcing evacuation of almost 3,000 people in Boulder County as wildfires continued to batter the state and the West.
Written content by John Bacon via USA TODAY
The CalWood fire began burning Saturday in Boulder County, about 50 miles southeast of the Cameron Peak Fire. That fire, the largest in state history, has burned more than 300 square miles since mid-August.
“It just exploded,” Mike Wagner, division chief with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, said of the CalWood fire. “We do believe multiple homes were probably lost. It’s still too dynamic to get in and begin to assess.”
Courtney Walsh posted three pictures of her burned-out Boulder-area home on social media.
“It’s all gone,” she tweeted. “I’m gutted.”
The causes of both fires remain under investigation. Wagner said there had been no lightning strikes or other likely weather events that could have ignited the CalWood blaze. But the region has been saddled with high winds and what fire officials termed “critically dry” conditions for weeks.
“Anyone under an Evacuation WARNING for #CalWoodFire should be ready to leave immediately,” the Boulder Office of Emergency Management said on social media. “Have a bag packed & be ready to leave with very little notice. Winds on Sunday could create fast-moving fire activity.”
Colorado’s largest wildfire ever: These photos show the intense smoke
Wagner said efforts to combat the blaze were constrained by the weather and the lack of firefighters because of demand throughout the West. More than 60 major fires were burning in 11 Western states, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
“We’ve been concerned for some time about the fire danger,” Wagner said. “It has been so dry.” Read more from USA TODAY.
Read other severe weather and related stories from News Without Politics
Subscribe to News Without Politics
