The forest fire had reached 50 acres by late afternoon without being contained, according to the Boulder Office of Emergency Management. Evacuation orders covered 8,000 homes.
A protected wildfire was burning near the Table Mesa district and the National Atmospheric Research Center (NCAR), police said on Twitter. Authorities have called it an NCAR fire.
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 pic.twitter.com / xtvFgLgylm
– @ boulderpolice
The fire is in an area where a fire destroyed 1,000 homes last year in Boulder County and the suburbs of Superior and Louisville.
Senior city officials told residents in an email that there were no immediate concerns for the community.
The blaze was moving south-east toward Eldorado Springs, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office said. The Boulder Fire Department was battling the fire.
A single-engine carrier throws water into an NCAR fire as it burns at the southern foot of the National Atmospheric Research Center on Saturday in Boulder, Colorado. (Helen H. Richardson / The Denver Post / The Associated Press)
Eldorado Canyon State Park is closed and authorities have ordered people hiking or climbing in the area to leave. University of Colorado police are evacuating the southern campus and police have blocked traffic west on roads near the fire.
The fire started around 2 a.m. Saturday, said Boulder Fire and Rescue spokeswoman Marya Washburn. An Emergency Operations Center has been set up, Boulder police said. Emergency alerts have been sent to mobile phones within a 0.4 km radius of the research center.
We will do a live broadcast of the next press / community briefing around 7 p.m. mountain time through pic.twitter.com/csRD4eUHZN
– @ boulderpolice
“The message is to evacuate the area due to the fast-moving #boulder fire,” police said.
There is no immediate information on the causes of the fire.
The sky is clear and the temperature was about 23 C with a wind of about 40 km / h.
