One of these, the MarshallFire, damaged around 600 residences as well as a hotel, retail center, and other businesses. According to the station, the fire had scorched 1,600 acres and was still expanding Thursday night.
The Black Forest Fire, which devoured more than 14,280 acres and destroyed 511 houses in 2013, was cited as the most damaging wildfire in Colorado history.
At least one first worker and six people were hurt in the flames that broke out Thursday morning, unusually late in the year and following an extraordinarily dry fall and a winter that has been practically snowless.
Because of the ferocity of the fires that swiftly raced over the region, Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle recognized that additional injuries and deaths were probable.
As night set, officials were watching how the winds and fires behaved to see when personnel would be allowed to enter and begin evaluating the damage and hunting for casualties.
Evacuations were issued earlier in the day for Louisville and Superior, which are roughly 20 miles northwest of Denver and have a combined population of 34,000 people. A section of U.S. Highway 36 adjacent was also closed. Some Broomfield residents were also instructed to evacuate, however they were permitted to return home late Thursday night.
The surrounding areas are densely packed with medium and upper-middle class suburbs surrounded by retail malls, parks, and schools. The neighborhood is located between Denver and Boulder, a foothills college town that is home to the University of Colorado.
The evacuations were rather quiet and orderly, but as individuals sought to flee, twisting lanes in neighborhoods rapidly got jammed. It may take up to 45 minutes for a car to travel half a mile.
Gov. Jared Polis declared a state of emergency in response to the fires, allowing the state to access disaster relief funding.
According to the National Weather Service, up to a foot of snow might fall in Boulder on Friday, and that precipitation would provide significant respite.
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