Marya Washburn, a spokeswoman for Boulder Fire-Rescue, said the NCAR fire was reduced to zero around 7 a.m. Saturday local time at a news conference. He could not imagine how much worse the fire could grow overnight. “There are so many factors,” Washburn said. “We really feel good that the air has stopped, it is getting colder.” The fire broke out around 2pm on Saturday near the National Center for Atmospheric Research, hence the name NCAR fire, said Brian Oliver, fire chief of the emergency department and head of the B Wilderness Division. . “It moved fast uphill,” Oliver said, “and then got caught at the top of the ridge with some winds pushing it south.” While thousands of people have been evacuated, Oliver said no construction has been damaged or lost yet. On Saturday, the National Weather Service wrote on Twitter that “dry, gusty winds will support critical fire conditions in much of Texas, New Mexico and eastern Colorado by Sunday.” According to the Boulder Office of Emergency Management, several roads were closed around the NCAR fire area, and the East Boulder Community Center has been converted into an overnight shelter with mental health and trauma counseling support. The NCAR fire comes after the January Marshall Fire, which burned more than 6,000 acres in northern Colorado, including Boulder County.
