Forest fires are uncommon in the state of Colorado during the cold season. Thousands of people had to get to safety from the flames.
Denver – In the recent fires in the US state of Colorado near the city of Boulder, almost 1,000 houses and other buildings were destroyed, according to authorities.
991 buildings fell victim to the flames, around 130 other buildings were damaged according to an initial survey, said the sheriff’s office for the Boulder district. It is to be expected that the number of burned down and damaged buildings will increase with closer inspections. On Friday, the authorities had assumed that around 500 houses were damaged or destroyed.
Three missing people – cause of fire unclear
According to the disaster control system, three people were initially still missing after the fires, seven were injured. The authorities want to use search dogs to rescue the missing as soon as the weather permits. Smaller sources of fire had spread rapidly in the area on Thursday, benefited from sometimes very strong winds. In the towns of Louisville and Superior, around 34,000 residents should get to safety.
The cause of the fires was still unclear. Officials had initially speculated that the fires, which are atypical for the winter in the region, were triggered when the wind tore power lines to the ground. However, Sheriff Joe Pelle said Saturday no broken power lines had been found. There was a search warrant because of the fires, he said – without giving any further details.
Embers covered by fresh snow
A drought that had lasted for months in the region had helped the fire to spread. Remaining embers were covered with around 20 centimeters of fresh snow on Saturday night, which is why the fire was no longer considered threatening. According to media reports, the fire known as the “Marshall Fire” had spread over an area of around 24 square kilometers.
Governor Jared Polis had already declared a state of emergency for the district northwest of the regional capital Denver on Thursday. US President Joe Biden also approved a declaration of emergency under federal law, which allows additional help for those affected. dpa
