COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — In southern Boulder, a wildfire started March 26 near the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).
The Boulder fire department is battling the blaze, dubbed the NCAR fire. The fire began just after 2 p.m. on Saturday. By 5:30 p.m., the fire had grown to over 120 acres and was 100 percent contained.
As of 7 p.m., no structures had been damaged or destroyed. Brian Oliver, chief of Boulder Fire Rescue’s wildland fire division, stated during a press conference that the primary goal of the firefighting effort was to save homes. Oliver stated that the fire came within a few hundred yards of residences.
Around 1,200 people were evacuated immediately following the fire, but the evacuation zone quickly expanded in lockstep with the fire. By 5:30 p.m., the evacuation zone had expanded to include 19,000 people and 8,000 homes, the majority of which were located in the Table Mesa area.
The evacuation area is depicted below on an up-to-date map.
East Boulder Community Center was designated as an evacuation centre by the Boulder Office of Emergency Management (5660 Sioux Drive). Additionally, the centre will serve as an overnight shelter. Pets are permitted.
The Boulder County Fairgrounds (9595 Nelson Road in Longmont) accepts big animals for shelter, while the Humane Society of Boulder Valley (2323 55th St. in Boulder) accepts smaller pets and companion animals.
For updates, follow the Boulder Police Department and NWS Boulder on Twitter.
The NCAR Fire began around three months after the Marshall Fire burned over 1,000 houses in Boulder County on December 30, 2021. The NCAR Fire evacuation zone encompasses the location where the Marshall Fire began.
Boulder County has had the wettest start to a year in terms of snowfall (approximately 75 inches) since the Marshall Fire, according to BoulderCAST Weather.
At around 4 p.m. on Saturday, BoulderCAST Weather meteorologists detected wind gusts of up to 30 mph near the NCAR Fire. By comparison, wind gusts hit 100 mph during the Marshall Fire.
Around 5 p.m., the gusts began to slow down, making the firefighting job less difficult. Firefighting planes were dispatched to the NCAR Fire and dropped retardant on the flames and around the perimeter of the blaze. Due to the high winds during the Marshall Fire, these planes were not an option.
“We are grateful for our firefighters’ and first responders’ quick action and response to this blaze “Governor Jared Polis made the announcement in a statement. “State authorities contacted with Sheriff [Joe] Pelle this afternoon and informed him that the state has sent two firefighting aircraft, including a single-enginer tanker and a type 2 helicopter, and is prepared to assist with the response. We will continue to follow the situation as it develops.”
From the debris left behind by the Marshall Fire, the billowing smoke of the NCAR Fire could be seen.
Representative Joe Neguse, a Democrat from Boulder County, urged residents to adhere to evacuation orders.
This is a breaking news item that will be updated as information becomes available.