Wildfire In Boulder County Spreads Over 4 Square Miles

September 7th, 2010 - 7:07 pm ICT by GD  

By Madhuri Dey
fireDenver, Sep 7, (THAINDIAN NEWS) On Monday, a sudden and devastating wind-driven wildfire in and around the Boulder county devoured several buildings and continues to threaten hundred more. The wildfire that started in Four Mile Canyon at the northwest of Boulder took few hours to spread over an area of 4 square miles. Although as of yet the wildfire has not claimed any casualty, authorities have maintained that hundreds of houses would be evacuated by Monday night to avoid any casualty. The Boulder County sheriff’s Cmdr. Rick Brough mentioned that around 100 ground crew members along with 75 standbys were deployed at the scene of crisis. The exact cause behind the wildfire is yet to be determined.

Initial reports claim that it was the gusting wind that blew at a speed of 45 miles per hour that led to the rapid spreading of the wildfire. Driven by wind, the flames spread towards west and northwest direction. While around two hundred homes were evacuated early on Monday, authorities ordered residents of seven more subdivisions to evacuate there houses by Monday night. The Boulder County Emergency Management Office mentioned in its website mentioned that residents should not wait for telephone alerts from authorities as the system is not working properly. It urged people to evacuate their home well before time to avoid any tragic circumstances. An evacuation center has been already set by the Red Cross at the Coors Events Center in the campus of University of Colorado. Livestock shelter has been made in Boulder County Fairgrounds.

However, as for the wildfire, late on Monday as the winds subsided from its earlier speed, authorities sent aerial tankers to drop fire retardant. The process began shortly before 6 p.m.

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