Thousands flee as wildfires burn hundreds of homes

Tens of thousands of Coloradans driven from their neighborhoods by wind-whipped wildfires anxiously waited to learn what was left standing of their lives Friday after the flames burned an estimated 580 homes, a hotel and a shopping center.

At least one first responder and six other people were injured in the blazes that erupted outside Denver on Thursday morning, unusually late in the year, following an extremely dry fall and amid a winter nearly devoid of snow so far.

Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said there could be more injuries — and deaths — because of the intensity of the fast-moving fires, propelled by winds that gusted up to 105 mph.

“This is the kind of fire we can’t fight head-on,” Pelle said. “We actually had deputy sheriffs and firefighters in areas that had to pull out because they just got overrun.“

Mike Guanella and his family were relaxing at their home in the city of Superior and looking forward to celebrating a belated Christmas later in the day when reports of a nearby grass fire quickly gave way to an order to leave immediately.

Instead of opening presents, Guanella and his wife, their three children and three dogs were taking refuge at a friend’s house in Denver, hoping their house was still standing.

“Those presents are still under the tree right now — we hope,” he said.

As night fell, officials watched the behavior of the wind and flames to determine when crews could safely go in to assess the damage and search for any victims.

About an inch of snow was forecast for the region Friday, raising hopes it could help suppress the flames.

The neighboring cities of Louisville and Superior, situated about 20 miles northwest of Denver and home to a combined 34,000 people, were ordered evacuated ahead of the flames, which cast a smoky, orange haze over the landscape and lit up the night sky.

The two towns are filled with middle- and upper-middle-class subdivisions with shopping centers, parks and schools. The area is between Denver and Boulder, home to the University of Colorado.

Residents evacuated fairly calmly and in orderly fashion, but the winding streets quickly became clogged.

DAVID ZALUBOWSKI/AP Homes burn as a wildfire rips through a development near Broomfield, Colo. An estimated 580 homes, a hotel and a shopping center have burned and tens of thousands of people were evacuated.