Iran Press/ America: At least one first responder and six others were injured, though Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle acknowledged there could be more injuries and deaths could be possible due to the intensity of fires that quickly swept across the region as winds gusted up to 105 mph (169 km/h).
The fires, burning to the north and south of the city of Boulder, were fanned by gusts that whipped flames and smoke into a frenzy. Officials said during a Thursday evening news conference that the fires had already blackened 1,600 acres.
The Colorado governor Jared Polis has declared a state of emergency, freeing up disaster emergency funds and providing other resources to aid in the response. During the evening press conference, governor Polis thanked first responders and shared that the National Guard and federal resources were being deployed to aid in the firefight, and would arrive soon. “This fire is not so much a question of resources,” he said. “This fire is a force of nature.”
Emergency call lines were inundated throughout the day and evacuation routes were heavily trafficked, said Pelle during the briefing.
Mandatory evacuations were issued Thursday afternoon for the 34,000 people who live in the towns of Superior and Louisville, in Boulder county, as giant black and grey plumes engulfed the residential and commercial areas. Residents in an area of Broomfield were also told to begin preparing to leave.
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