Raging flames, blinding smoke, choking ash: videos capture Colorado fire destruction
_fitted.png "Videos taken by Colorado residents capture devastation caused by a fast-moving wildfire.")
A Colorado wildfire that sparked late in the morning Thursday, Dec. 30, quickly spread out of control, destroying hundreds of homes in a matter of hours, forcing thousands to evacuate.
Videos taken by residents and local reporters capture some of the devastation.
The blaze, dubbed the Marshall Fire, “ballooned” and burned eastward through communities in Boulder County, filling the air with impenetrable smoke, turning an estimated 580 homes into smoldering ruins, officials said late Thursday.
So far, no fire-related deaths have been reported but county officials cautioned that, given the scope of the damage to the primarily residential areas, that may change.
The communities of Louisville, Superior and Broomfield were evacuated, according to officials.
Around 30,000 residents fled the area to safety, outlets reported.
A combination of extremely high winds — peaking between 110 to 115 mph — and “record dryness” helped fuel the Marshall Fire, according to the National Weather Service.
With the conditions perfect for a wildfire, downed power lines may have provided the initial spark, officials said.
The gusts “can and have moved this fire the length of a football field in a matter of seconds,” Gov. Jared Polis said during a news conference. “Very little time to get out, very little time to get the most important parts of your life.”
Thus far, 6000 acres have been burned by the Marshall Fire, according to officials.
One ominous video shared on Twitter shows people leaving a shopping center, walking out into blinding gray smoke and ash.
Another shows a motorist driving through similarly suffocating conditions when another driver tells him to turn around. Moments later, he panics as a wall of flames — which seemingly appears from nowhere — comes close to engulfing his vehicle.
WARNING: The video below contains graphic language.
Video taken inside the cab of an ambulance captures what many first responders saw first hand; entire neighborhoods ablaze, home after home completely beyond saving.
Friday morning, Dec. 31, the Boulder County Office of Emergency Management advised residents who evacuated at-risk areas to remain where they are and not return.
This story was originally published December 31, 2021 at 11:09 AM with the headline "Raging flames, blinding smoke, choking ash: videos capture Colorado fire destruction."