Hundreds of homes have been destroyed and at least 33,000 people are forced to flee their homes by fires in Colorado, a western US state battered by high winds and facing a historic drought, officials said.
Hotels, shopping centers, and more than 650 acres of greenery have been destroyed in Boulder County.
“About 370 homes around Sagamore were destroyed. And it’s possible 210 homes were destroyed in Old Town Superior,” Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said at a press conference Thursday.
The city of Boulder, which has more than 100,000 inhabitants, is located about fifty kilometers from Denver, the capital of Colorado.
This state is experiencing a historic drought which greatly facilitated the spread of the flames. And gusts of wind of more than 160 km per hour were observed in some places, complicating the efforts of the firefighters.
“Given the scale and intensity of this fire and its presence in such a densely populated area, we would unfortunately not be surprised if there were injuries or deaths,” Sheriff Joe Pelle warned.
According to the Colorado Sun newspaper, several people required treatment for burns, at least six of whom were hospitalized.
In all, more than 33,000 people have been ordered to evacuate, including Louisville, a city of 20,000 residents, and Superior, 13,000 residents.
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