Climate Changed
Colorado Fires Hit up to 1,000 Homes, Spread in Blink of Eye
- Authorities suspect fires started by downed power lines
- No deaths have been reported in connection to the blazes
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The infernos near Boulder, Colorado, destroyed as many as 1,000 homes, overwhelming firefighters as hurricane-force gusts propelled flames through suburban neighborhoods left tinder dry by months of drought.
The blazes dashed erratically from house to house, scorching about 6,000 acres (2,400 hectares) and devouring structures “in just a blink of an eye,” Colorado Governor Jared Polis said at a Friday news conference after taking an aerial tour of the disaster. Authorities suspect the grass fires were touched off by power lines that toppled in the 100-mile (161-kilometer) per-hour winds. No deaths have been reported.