Powerful winds will bring more extreme fire risk along the Front Range and foothills Friday, experts warned, ahead of another storm forecast to bring gusts up to 100 mph.
Forecasters at the National Weather Service’s Office in Boulder issued a rare “particularly dangerous fire weather” warning for sustained winds of 35 to 50 mph paired with near-record temperatures and dry air.
If a fire sparks, it could rapidly spread in and near the Boulder and Jefferson County foothills, forecasters said.
Alarm was particularly high among Boulder city authorities as the region neared the four-year anniversary of the Marshall fire, the most destructive fire in recorded Colorado history.
Conditions will be similar to Dec. 30, 2021, the day the Marshall fire sparked, killing two people and burning nearly 1,000 homes and businesses in Boulder County, West Metro Fire Rescue said.
“If there’s an ignition, gusts of 85 to 100 mph will potentially carry embers for up to a mile or more, resulting in a fast-moving fire that could be challenging to contain,” the fire rescue said.
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Temperatures are expected to hit 71 degrees and humidity levels will likely dip to the lower teens and possibly even single digits, forecasters predicted.
Boulder authorities shut down access to all city-owned open-space and mountain parks until 10 p.m. Friday “as a fire prevention and visitor safety measure.”
“This is a precautionary measure to protect lives and property as we face what we have been told will be a particularly dangerous situation and fraught day,” city manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde said.
Residents were urged to prepare for a wildfire by signing up for emergency alerts, packing a go-kit and understanding nearby evacuation routes. Officials also urged people to check on their neighbors, especially older adults and anyone who may need more time or help to evacuate.
“I’m not trying to scare anybody, but this is serious. We want to make sure people take it seriously,” Vinnie Montez, a spokesperson for the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, said in a social media post. “So please take the time to get a plan together this morning. Make sure you are ready to go.”
Powerful gusts are possible along the Highway 93 corridor, between Boulder and Golden, and westward, with sustained winds from 45 to 55 mph, according to the weather service.
Boulder County officials asked people to stay home and off the roads Friday as winds will be “dangerously high” and debris, including downed tree limbs and power lines, will be on the roads. Gas stations and electric vehicle charging stations might be limited and traffic lights at intersections may not be working where the power is out.
High fire danger is also expected for most of the Eastern Plains and Teller and Fremont counties with gusts up to 45 mph and low humidity levels.
Wind speeds will likely be lighter beyond the foothills, but critical fire conditions for most of the Interstate 25 corridor will exist later Friday, forecasters said.
As of 10:30 a.m., more than 420 flights were delayed at Denver International Airport due to the wind. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop for all departures at the airport until 11 a.m., warning that the delays could extend farther into the day. Flights arriving into Denver were delayed by an average of 30 minutes, the FAA said.
The critical fire danger comes as nearly 91,000 Xcel Energy customers are without electricity. As of 8:30 a.m., Xcel’s map listed 294 outage sites in the state.
The utility company said it would shut off power Friday as a preventive measure for the second time this week, after a powerful wind storm rocked the Front Range on Wednesday.
Friday’s shut-off is impacting about 69,000 customers in Boulder, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld counties while many others experience weather-related outages.
This is a developing story that will be updated.