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Smoke clearly visible on the west side of Boulder. This picture was taken from the Target parking lot off Pearl and 28th streets. The Boulder County Sheriff's office ordered evacuations to those in the 2900 block of Sunshine Canyon.
Boulder County officials issued an evacuation order for residents in the area of the 2900 block of Sunshine Canyon, north west of the city west of the Foothills Community Park. Authorities gave the City of Boulder all clear as of 4:49 p.m.
Smoke clearly visible on the west side of Boulder. This picture was taken from the Target parking lot off Pearl and 28th streets. The Boulder County Sheriff's office ordered evacuations to those in the 2900 block of Sunshine Canyon.
Boulder County officials issued an evacuation order for residents in the area of the 2900 block of Sunshine Canyon, north west of the city west of the Foothills Community Park. Authorities gave the City of Boulder all clear as of 4:49 p.m.
Emergency officials lifted evacuation warnings around 5 p.m. Monday within Boulder city limits for areas between Linden and University Avenues after a fire broke out in the area of Sunshine Canyon.
Shortly after evacuation orders lifted, officials estimated its size decreased from 18 to 16 acres.
Officials from Boulder's Office of Emergency Management (OEM) reported after 7 p.m. Monday the Sunshine Wildland Fire was 25% contained, and about 200 firefighters would "remain on scene as they work towards increasing containment."
Boulder County emergency officials issued earlier Monday an evacuation order for residents in the area of the 2900 block of Sunshine Canyon, north west of the city and west of the Foothills Community Park.
The evacuation warning inside Boulder city limits was issued at about 2:15 p.m.
OEM officials said the East Boulder Community Center at 5660 Sioux Drive opened as an evacuation site at 5:30 p.m. and urged individuals needing services to go there. The site will remain open as an emergency shelter overnight, and small pets on leashes are allowed.
The blaze, which authorities have named the Sunshine Wildland Fire, comes nearly a year after the Marshall Fire tore through Boulder County in the last days of 2021. The ferocious blaze fanned by 100+ mph wind gusts and extreme drought killed two people, wiped out more than 6,000 acres — including 1,156 homes and businesses.
Just last week the Boulder County Sheriff's Office reported authorities still don't know the cause of the Marshall Fire.
Climate change has lengthened Colorado's fire seasons, and dry winter conditions mean residents in areas near wildlands such as Boulder County now brace themselves for fires well past summer.
The Boulder Fire and Rescue Department tweeted its firefighters were helping battle the blaze, and warned residents to steer clear of "emergency vehicles enroute to help via city streets." But wind conditions prevented air firefighting efforts, the Office of Emergency Management reported on its website.
The Boulder County Sheriff's Office tweeted at 2 p.m. it was responding to a structure fire in that area. Evacuations were ordered just 15 minutes later for what authorities are calling the Sunshine Wildland Fire.
The Boulder OEM estimated the fire's size at 16 acres around 5:15 p.m., down from 18 acres earlier in the afternoon. The fire was estimated to be 18 acres in size at 4:42 p.m., according to the Boulder OEM. The mandatory evacuation order affected about 937 people and 389 structures, including 346 homes.
The evacuation warning areas included 6,696 residents and 2,940 buildings, including 2,932 housing units, according to the OEM.
Mapleton Avenue, which turns into Sunshine Canyon Drive, was closed at Fourth Street to the west. Linden Avenue at South Cedarbrook Street to the west was also closed.
The Boulder County Fairgrounds is open for large animal evacuations such as farm animals, and the Humane Society of Boulder Valley is taking small animal evacuations, per the Boulder OEM.
Officials urged residents to visit the Boulder Office of Emergency Management website for updates at www.boulderoem.com.
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