Wildfire near Boulder, Colorado, has officials 'nervous' for fire season
ABC News
Diminishing winds on Sunday were helping firefighters battle a wildland fire that came close to homes near Boulder, Colorado.
Diminishing winds on Sunday were helping firefighters battle a wildfire that came close to homes near Boulder, Colorado, and forced the evacuation of about 19,000 people, authorities said.
The blaze, dubbed the NCAR Fire because its proximity to the National Center for Atmospheric Research, ignited Saturday and has burned roughly 200 acres southwest of Boulder, fire officials said.
The fire was initially fueled by thick brush and fanned by strong winds, prompting officials on Saturday to evacuate around 8,000 homes and around 19,000 people. The fire came within 1,000 yards of houses near the west end of Boulder, said Mike Smith, a wildland fire specialist for Boulder Fire Rescue and the incident commander on the NCAR Fire.
On Sunday morning, fire officials said the winds had died down overnight, and firefighters worked to get 21% of the blaze contained. Most of the evacuations were lifted overnight.
