Wildfire rages through Boulder area. Jenny Simpson's house may burn down (video)

Pray for everyone in Boulder County! The whole county seems to be going up in flames, including the running sanctuary of Davidson Mesa in Louisville.

https://www.9news.com/article/weather/severe-weather/multiple-grass-fires-boulder-county/73-d98c59a1-480e-47cc-b2b3-8a82baca0a58

Bummer, used to love running Davidson Mesa after work. Hopefully won’t take too long to recover

This breaks my heart that this fire is already over 1500 acres and taken 500 home, which will grow to over 1000 homes. This reminds me of the flood that destroyed Boulder in 2013.

1500 acre fire taking 500 homes? That's a big planning fail. Maybe you mean 150,000 acres?

Regardless, hoping everybody is safe.

I would have thought fire season was over by winter. Is it usually fire danger this time of year?

neubonch wrote:

I would have thought fire season was over by winter. Is it usually fire danger this time of year?

No

Runners Roost wrote:

Bummer, used to love running Davidson Mesa after work. Hopefully won’t take too long to recover

I think I ran a half marathon there a couple years ago when living in Colorado. "Arctic Prairie Dog Half Marathon" I think it was called. I remember climbing a big hill up to a lake, taking a lap around the lake, and then doing a lap around a huge open area. I think this was Davidson Mesa Open Space. Nice place to race. Unfortunately I lived too far away or I would have trained there every day. Hope for the best for the people living in that area.

There were extremely strong winds today (100 mph + gusts). I read that a downed power line might be at fault.

NachoLibre wrote:

1500 acre fire taking 500 homes? That's a big planning fail. Maybe you mean 150,000 acres?

Regardless, hoping everybody is safe.

Its a suburban area with many homes, apartments, shopping centers, etc. We've had major drought conditions around here so far this fall/winter with little or no snow. Instead of having a foot or more of snow by now, we've had less than an inch. A storm is moving in tomorrow but there are winds blowing in the storm. Sustained winds today have been 25-45mph with gusts reaching anywhere from 60-100mph and it's driving the fire in bone-dry conditions.

Dr Fill wrote:

NachoLibre wrote:

1500 acre fire taking 500 homes? That's a big planning fail. Maybe you mean 150,000 acres?

Regardless, hoping everybody is safe.

Its a suburban area with many homes, apartments, shopping centers, etc. We've had major drought conditions around here so far this fall/winter with little or no snow. Instead of having a foot or more of snow by now, we've had less than an inch. A storm is moving in tomorrow but there are winds blowing in the storm. Sustained winds today have been 25-45mph with gusts reaching anywhere from 60-100mph and it's driving the fire in bone-dry conditions.

I saw the images, these are fairly new homes, right? Crazy. There will be lessons learned on defensible space and structure hardening, I imagine.

There's not enough prayers to God in these trying times. Hope no one is injured. Buildings can be replaced not lives.

A few years ago on a road trip through this area I stopped a did a run in one of the many opens space parks. I support open spaces, but if not managed properly and too close to housing developments may be an issue. Downed power lines and 100mph winds are a recipe for disaster even if the main fire source is grass.

The Denver / Boulder area has received 1.07" of precip since July 1st. It is bone dry.

I saw the fire just after it started, flared up very quickly - really thick smoke. I can smell the smoke in the house tonight, and the fires are 20 - 25 miles away.

There was a hotel (surrounded by concrete and the highway) that was a total loss. I was listing to the BoCo EMS channel, and the fire crew responding said "total loss" dispatch replied "no additional resources are required?" "total loss"

It is insane ... the wind is still blowing hard.

Snow is in the forecast for tomorrow - hopefully it helps.

It sounds like most of Superior was destroyed. Is Bell Flatirons in Superior burned?

It looks like even Arvada is on watch to possibly evacuate as it spreads!

Saw the news about the fires and texted my college teammate who lives in Superior to see if he was being affected. He texted me back and said his house had just burned to the ground, happened fast, in shock. Left the house with his wife and the clothes on his back, everything gone.

Bell Flatirons is in the middle of the mess - likely burned. They issued mandatory evacuations for Interlocken, west Broomfield, north west Arvada. Good Samaritan Hospital, east of 287 is being evacuated now.

Adventist Hospital was evacuated earlier in the day.

I live in the region and saw the smoke plume and fire wall from about 10 miles away in Golden. Looks apocalyptic. We never had grass fires this time of year, but had some last year near Morrison, and in recent years outside of Boulder.