At least 160 houses were destroyed and hundreds of residents were evacuated because of this wildfire. Some were allowed to return to their houses when the area was considered safe.
Firefighters were also working against strong winds. Gusts of up to 60 mph could blow away the little moisture the area has seen and spread the fire beyond the 20-mile-long perimeter.
Safety-lines have been built around 30 percent of the fire, but firefighters warn that the progress can be undone.
“The wind event tonight, we could be off to the races,” said Rob Bozeman, field observer with the Boulder Mountain Fire Protection District.
Authorities are allowing residents to return to the burn area in two waves Thursday to do things like pick up pets and supplies, but sheriff’s Cmdr. Rick Brough said the expected change in the weather makes it impossible for people to stay home. He asked the residents to take care of business as quickly as possible and then leave again.
Around 3,500 people have been out of their homes for 3-4 days and some residents were frustrated due to a lack of information about what’s happening behind fire lines. Some have gotten around roadblocks by hiking and biking in to check on their homes.
Brough said one person caught sneaking in was led away in handcuffs. He acknowledged authorities didn’t have enough resources to force everyone to leave again if they refused to do so.
The reported loss of homes surpasses that of the 2002 Hayman fire in southern Colorado that was the most destructive in the state’s history. And the wildfire is not over yet!It destroyed 133 homes and 466 outbuildings on 138,000 acres of more sparsely populated area that includes national forest land.
Firefighters used the cooler weather and light rain to attack the wildfire Wednesday, and air tankers dumped fire retardant on the flames. A total of 100,000 gallons of retardant has been used and firefighting costs have reached $2.1 million so far.
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