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DENVER, Colorado – At least 500 homes destroyed and 35,000 people evacuated But no fatalities are the partial balance of several fires that broke out Thursday in Boulder County, local authorities reported Friday.
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FOLLOWING
Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said Friday that no deaths had been reported and the fires were largely under control, although evacuation orders still stood.
“It’s amazing, when you see the devastation, that we don’t have a list of 100 missing people, but we don’t have one,” Pelle said during a news conference.
The fires, fueled by high winds of more than 105 miles per hour, spread at high speed Thursday, forcing the towns of Superior, with more than 12,000 residents, and Louisville, with 20,000 residents, to be evacuated.
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FOLLOWING
Gov. Jared Polis, who declared a state of emergency over the situation, said Friday that President Joe Biden pledged to provide the necessary funds to help people and businesses affected by the fires.
“The last 24 hours have been devastating. It’s hard to imagine what happened, it doesn’t feel real, it feels like a nightmare, ”Polis said in Spanish.
The affected area is regarding 18 miles northwest of Denver. The brush fires spanned regarding 2.5 square miles.
More than 15,000 homes were without electrical service due to falling utility poles. In addition to the burned-out homes, a hotel and a shopping center suffered considerable damage from the flames.
Colorado, like many parts of the western United States, has suffered extreme droughts in recent years, facilitating the conditions for the eruption of these rapid and violent fires.
EVACUATION POINTS
- South Boulder Rec Center ubicado en 1360 Gillaspie Dr. Boulder
- Longmont Senior Center ubicado en 910 Longs Peak Ave, Longmont
- Lafayette YMCA located 2800 Dagny Way in Lafayette
HELP FOR PEOPLE AFFECTED BY FIRES
Community Foundation Boulder County is collecting monetary donations for those affected. Donations can be made online here.
Boulder’s Office of Emergency Management said people who can provide shelter for displaced residents should register online through Airbnb’s Open Homes Program. The program will contact people if necessary.
Donations of household items should be taken to local nonprofit thrift stores, according to the Office of Emergency Management.
If you lost or found a pet, a Facebook page called ” Lost and Found Pets ” has been created by Boulder County fires for people to share information. People also offer to take pets.
