Colorado fires: hundreds of homes burned in ‘fast-motion’ disaster Weather News

Nearly 1,000 homes have been destroyed by the wind forest fires in the US state of Colorado, officials said it was a “miracle” that no one had been killed in the blaze.

“It was a fast-moving disaster during the middle of the day,” Governor Jared Polis said in a Friday news release. “Many families had minutes to do what they could to get their pets and children into the car, and get away. It’s unimaginable. ‘

Polis said he spoke on Friday Joe Biden, President of the United States, which has approved a rapid declaration of major disasters in the region, making it easier for residents and businesses to get help.

“We can have the miracle of our New Year in our hands if we accept that there has been no loss of life,” Polis said.

The blaze injured at least half a dozen people and evacuated tens of thousands of people Thursday in two villages east of the Rocky Mountains near Denver.

“It’s incredible that we don’t have a list of the 100 people who went missing when you look at the disaster,” Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pell said Friday.

Two of the worst-hit communities, Louisville and Superior, have been warned for boiling water for fear of pollution, Pell added.

Both towns, located in the area between Denver and Boulder, are full of middle- and upper-middle class subdivisions, as well as shopping malls, parks, and schools.

The origin of the fire has not been confirmed, but authorities said at a news conference on Friday that it was suspected to be related to power lines.

Pell, who gave an early estimate of the damage, said there could be more injuries, as well as more deaths, due to the severity of the fire, driven by winds of 169 kilometers per hour (105 miles per hour).

“This is the kind of fire we can’t fight face to face,” Pell said. “Actually, we had deputy sheriffs and firefighters because they managed to get through the areas where they had to leave.”

The fire burned 24.3 square miles (9.4 square miles), Peller said. The flames are still burning, but officials do not expect them to be outside the fire area, he added.

In the first light of Friday, the great flames that illuminated the night sky disappeared, they went away houses and curly trees were on fire and fields. The wind blew, and light snow soon began to fall, creating hope for the hot spots to go out.

“Hopefully, the snow will help put an end to the fires, and recovery efforts can be launched,” the White House said. statement Biden and Polis, the state governor, set out on Friday morning’s call. “The President would like to thank the communities of Colorado and all the first responders who came to help the families affected by the fires.”

Mike Guanella and his family were relaxing at the Superior Town Hall and hoping to celebrate late Christmas when news of a nearby wildfire ordered them to leave immediately.

Instead of opening presents, Guanella, his wife, their three children, and their three dogs were staying at a friend’s house in a Denver inn because they thought their house was standing. “Those gifts are still under the tree now – hopefully,” he said.

Homes were set on fire Thursday in homes in Superior, Colorado [David Zalubowski/AP Photo]

Scientists say climate change is taking place more extreme weather and more frequent and destructive forest fires.

The Colorado Front Range, where the state’s largest population lives, had very dry and smooth fall, while so far the winter has been mostly dry. Denver set a record number of snow-free days before a small storm on Dec. 10, the last snowfall before the fires broke out.

It is located in 90% of Boulder County severe or extreme drought, and has not seen much rainfall since mid-summer.

“Colorado’s cities are flooded with fires and hundreds of miles of wind per hour,” Senator Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, said on Twitter on Friday. “Anyone who denies that we are in the midst of a major climate crisis is not living in reality.”

Officials Coloradon they are still assessing the extent of the damage and are working to provide temporary housing to the displaced residents. Rebuilding burned communities will not be easy, the governor said, thanking rescue workers, volunteers and first responders for their work so far.

It was almost 70 ° in Alaska a few days ago.
The city of Colorado is flooded with fires and winds of a hundred miles an hour.

Anyone who denies that we are in the midst of a major climate crisis is not living in reality.

We need bold climate action and we need it now.

– Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) December 31, 2021