Hundreds of homes were destroyed in a fire in Colorado on Thursday, December 30. A state in western America is facing a historic drought hit by strong winds. “About 370 houses destroyed in Sagmore subdivision”Boulder County Sheriff Joe Belle told a news conference. “210 houses may have been destroyed in the old town of Superior.”
The city of Boulder, with a population of over 100,000, is located about fifty miles[50 km]from Denver, the capital of Colorado. The state is experiencing a historic drought that has greatly contributed to the spread of the fires. In Boulder County, hotels, shopping centers and more than 650 acres have been transformed into a green smoke zone. The wind, which sometimes blows at 160km / h, complicates the efforts of firefighters.
“I would like to emphasize the magnitude and intensity of this fire and its presence in such a densely populated area. We would not be surprised if any injuries or deaths occur.”, Sheriff Joe Belle warned. Many people The burns were treated (In English), According to the newspaper Colorado Sun., At least six of them have been admitted to hospital. Thousands of residents have been ordered to evacuate the city of Louisville or Superior, where 20,000 residents live.
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“Strong winds quickly spread the flames and all planes landed.”, The governor of this mountainous state where the Rockies meet large plains, tweeted Jared Police. Colorado, an already arid state like the western United States, has been battling exceptional drought for years.
Prayers for the thousands of families who survived the fire in Superior and Boulder County. The fast wind is spreading the flames fast and all the planes have landed.
– Jared Police (jaredpolis) December 30, 2021
With global warming, the intensity and frequency of drought and heat waves are likely to increase further, creating better conditions for forest or shrub fires. In recent years, the U.S. West has experienced unprecedented fires, especially in California and Oregon.
>> Floods, “heat dome”, fire … These climate disasters mark 2021
In Boulder, CO it is hard to believe that this will happen at the end of December. But only 1 inch of snow has been reported so far this season. / Dangerous fire effect. #Coves # Marshallfire pic.twitter.com/rd7L3JOFI8
– Daniel Swain (@Weather_West) December 30, 2021
For UCLA’s meteorologist Daniel Swain, similar fires occurred in December “Hard to believe”, Because the period is generally not conducive to such events in the region. “But take the autumn of recorded heat and drought with only two inches of snow so far this season, and add a storm with intense downward winds … the result is a very dangerous, very fast-moving fire.“.