Fast-moving fires in Colorado, just northwest of Denver, have forced thousands to evacuate from their homes. Nearly 600 homes have already been devoured by the inferno which has been fueled by hurricane-force winds.
Authorities believe downed power lines may have sparked some of the blazes but also say intense weather has fueled the disaster. Colorado has experienced an extremely dry and mild fall and winter, and on Thursday strong winds quickly fanned the flames.
“Gusts of 100, 110 miles an hour can and have moved this fire down a football field in a matter of seconds,” said Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO). “Very little time to get out.”
The fires started Thursday morning, quickly consuming an estimated 580 homes, a hotel and shopping center.
In Louisville and Superior, tens of thousands of residents have been ordered to evacuate. The neighboring towns are roughly 20 miles northwest of Denver.
Polis said the fires’ proximity to neighborhoods and businesses has made the situation perilous. “Sixteen-hundred acres near a population center can be and is, in this case, absolutely devastating,” he said Thursday.
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Source: CBN
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