Thousands of residents in two communities near Denver were ordered to evacuate Thursday because of a wind-fueled wildfire that engulfed parts of the area in smoky, orangish skies.
The city of Louisville, which has a population of about 21,000, was ordered to evacuate after residents in Superior, which has 13,000 residents, were told to leave. The neighboring towns are roughly 20 miles northwest of Denver.The blaze near the towns was one of several that started in the area Thursday, at least some sparked by downed powerlines, as winds gusted up to 105 mph and sent flames racing through barren trees, according to the National Weather Service.
Video captured by a bystander outside a Superior Costco store showed winds whipping through trees in the parking lot surrounded by gray skies, a hazy sun and small fires scattered across the ground. “The wind rocked the bus so hard that I thought the bus would tip,” she wrote in a message to The Associated Press.
“The sky was dark, dark brown, and the dirt was blowing in swirls across the sidewalk like snakes,” she said.
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