Boulder police initially said about 1,200 homes had been ordered to be evacuated in what became known as the NCAR fire. But shortly afterwards, police posted on Twitter a map showing almost the entire southern Boulder being evacuated. The Boulder Office of Emergency Management now says the map was wider than required and that the actual evacuation area is “from NCAR on Baseline Road, east to US 36, back on Broadway and straight west on NCAR again.” The town of Superior issued a statement saying staff had contacted a Boulder County sheriff’s sergeant who said the fire was about 20 acres in size and was moving south / southeast toward Eldorado Springs in southwestern Boulder County. Evacuation orders have been issued for Eldorado Springs, west of Colorado 93, north of Eldorado Canyon State Park, east of the Walker Ranch Open Space and south of Greenbriar Boulevard, according to emergency officials. We’re working on multiple community alerts right now, but if you’re in any of these shady areas, GET NOW. We will continue to share information as #NCARfire evolves. He is also working on finding a safe media viewing area. Will tweet when found at pic.twitter.com/xtvFgLgylm – Boulder Police Dept. (@boulderpolice) March 26, 2022 The fire is burning on the southwest side of Boulder in an open area near NCAR, police said. The Boulder Fire Department is at the scene to put out the fire. Emergency operations have been activated and wireless emergency alerts have been sent to all cell phones within a 1/4 mile radius of the NCAR, police said. The Southern Campus of the University of Colorado Boulder has been evacuated due to the rapid fire. Police are urging people to stay away from the area. Eldorado Canyon State Park, which was open on Saturday, is closed. The Rangers are working to keep visitors safe from the park. People hiking or leisure in the area as they were asked to leave. Firefighters are on their way to help fire-fighting ground crews, Governor Jared Polis said on Twitter. At about 4:40 p.m., Colorado 93 closed north of Colorado 128, near Superior, on Marshall Street due to the fire, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. An evacuation point has been set up at East Boulder Community Center, 5660 Sioux Drive, according to the Boulder Office of Emergency Management. Evacuees can get updated information there as well as other resources. Pets are welcome. Emergency personnel continue to determine additional shelter needs as the situation evolves, the OEM said. Pre-evacuation warnings affect the following areas: West of Colorado 93, north of Eldorado Canyon State Park, east side of the Walker Ranch and south of Greenbriar Boulevard. Authorities are urging residents to be vigilant and ready to evacuate. At around 3:30 p.m., winds in the Boulder rushed to about 31 mph, humidity was 14% and temperatures were 73 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The Humane Society of Boulder Valley, 2323 55th St., receives evacuated pets from the fire. People in the area are encouraged to follow @boulderpolice on Twitter for fire updates. This story is breaking news and will be updated.
