'Life-Threatening' Wildfires Destroy Nearly 600 Homes In Boulder County

A series of dangerous fires in Boulder County, Colorado is forcing people to evacuate their homes Thursday (December 30), CBS Denver reports.

The Middle Fork Fire is raging north of the city of Boulder, according to the Boulder County Emergency Operations Center, which activated in response to the fires. Officials say the closest intersection is North Foothills Highway and Middle Fork Road.

A second blaze sparked south of the city, closest to the intersection of South Cherryvale Road and Marshall Drive. Officials are calling it the Marshall Fire.

Evacuation orders are also in place for the town of Superior and the city of Louisville, Colorado, CBS Denver says. Over 30,000 people were reportedly forced to leave to escape the flames. The National Weather Service has called this a "life-threatening situation" and residents must "leave now!"

Click here for a list of road closures. Here are the available evacuation sites:

• South Boulder Rec Center (1360 Gillaspie Drive, Boulder)
• Longmont Senior Center (910 Longs Peak Avenue, Longmont)
• YMCA of Northern Colorado (2800 Dagny Way, Lafayette)
• The Rocky Mountain Christian Church (9447 Niwot Road in Longmont)

If you're COVID-19 and must evacuate, head to the COVID Recover Center at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church. It's located at 3485 Stanford Court in Boulder.

Officials with Xcel say they had to shut off power to 34,000 customers Thursday afternoon and evening as the fires continue. You can view the outage map here.

As of Friday morning (December 31), the Marshall Fire has destroyed nearly 600 homes in Superior, Louisville, and Broomfield, as well as shopping centers, businesses, and hotels, CBS Denver reports. Gov. Jared Polis has declared a state of emergency for both Boulder and Jefferson counties in response to the blazes.

Officials with Xcel say they had to shut off power to 34,000 customers Thursday afternoon and evening as the fires continue. You can view the outage map here.

As of Friday morning (December 31), the Marshall Fire has destroyed nearly 600 homes in Superior, Louisville, and Broomfield, as well as shopping centers, businesses, and hotels, CBS Denver reports.

The Boulder Office of Emergency Management and the city's police department are also urging people not to call 911 to keep the lines clear. "IF YOU SEE FIRE, EVACUATE. Go east, go north, but leave immediately," Boulder OEM wrote on Twitter.

The Boulder County Sheriff's Office says they got calls about high winds knocking down power lines and causing transformers to explode. Deputies claim this led the multiple grass fires.

"Intense winds fanned the flames and were expected to continue through the evening hours," CBS Denver writes.