Colorado’s state fire division positioned 10 fire engines for rapid deployment across the Front Range on Friday, after officials issued a rare “particularly dangerous situation” alert for critical fire danger.
Forecasters at the National Weather Service’s Office in Boulder issued the so-called PDS alert, warning of 100-mph wind gusts and 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.
“This is the first time a PDS has been issued for fire weather in Colorado, emphasizing the potentially high-impact nature of this event, especially the potential for rapid wildfire spread due to extreme winds combined with exceptionally dry air and near-record warm temperatures,” the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Safety said in a statement.
The state task force, along with fire officials, will be staged at Colorado State Patrol headquarters in Lakewood and available through tomorrow, unless assigned to a fire, the division said.
None of the resources have been requested yet, Tracy LeClair, a spokesperson for the division said about 1:30 p.m.
“We’ve seen a few fires pop up, but local resources have been successful in initial attack so far,” LeClair 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 were expected to reach 70 degrees and humidity levels will likely dip to the lower teens and possibly even single digits, forecasters predicted.
The high wind warning will remain in effect for the foothills and adjacent plains until 8 p.m., the weather service said.
The critical fire danger comes as nearly 86,000 Xcel Energy customers are without electricity. As of 5 p.m., Xcel’s map listed more than 280 outage sites in the state.
Gov. Jared Polis demanded the utility energy release more information about the shut-offs and weather-related outages that impacted Colorado’s businesses and schools.
“No Coloradan should be wondering if they will or will not have power, and when it may be turned on again, or worse, receive no communication or confusing communication. Xcel energy must do their part in keeping communities safe, while also ensuring they are informing communities with the best, most up-to-date information possible before, during and after weather events so that people, schools and institutions can make informed decisions,” Polis said in a statement Friday evening.
Xcel said it would shut off power as a preventive measure Friday 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 and outages are anticipated to last until at least 8 to 10 p.m., Xcel said. Some residents got alerts that their power would not be restored until 10 p.m. Saturday.
“Unfortunately, our fire seasons are longer, and it’s even more important that our utilities share information and are partners in these situations. I plan to address my concerns with the utility after the current weather systems resolve,” Polis said.
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.”
After a backyard fence caught fire in Boulder at about 1:30 p.m, firefighters put it out before it spread to any home. No one was injured and firefighters don’t know the cause yet, Boulder Fire Rescue said.
“The wind is wild out here — the crews being on the fire with water so fast and the community calling it in as soon as they saw it helped us catch the fire before a potentially serious spread,” Boulder Fire Rescue said in a post on X.
Powerful gusts are possible along the Colorado 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.
The Colorado Department of Transportation shut down several highways due to unsafe conditions. Among the roads closed were:
- Colorado 93 in both directions from Arvada to Colorado 170, which connects Eldorado Springs and Superior
- U.S. 36 in both directions from Boulder to Lyons
- Colorado 128 in both directions from Colorado 93 to McCaslin Boulevard
- Flagstaff Road; closed to non-local traffic
- Colorado 72 from Allenspark to Ward
- Kalmia Avenue east of 28th Street
- 63rd Street from Nelson Road to Oxford Road
Real-time information on road closures can be found at cotrip.org.
Firefighters, sawyers and community helpers in Evergreen were responding to calls for downed trees blocking roads. The town’s fire department urged people to call 911 if a road was blocked by a tree so that roads could be cleared as quickly as possible.
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 2:30 p.m., more than 1,000 flights were delayed at Denver International Airport due to the wind. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground delay for all departures at the airport until 10 p.m., warning of an average two-hour delay. Flights arriving in Denver were delayed by an average of 30 minutes, the FAA said.