Marshall Fire Destroys Hundreds Of Homes In Boulder County

SUPERIOR, Colo. (CBS4) -- Nearly 600 homes have been destroyed in the Marshall Fire -- along with hotels, shopping centers and businesses. The fire had burned 1,600 acres and was still growing Thursday night.

Wildland fire — SUPERIOR, CO - DECEMBER 30: Fire consumes a home in neighborhoods in Superior on December 30, 2021 in Superior, Colorado. Fierce winds have whipped wildfires in Boulder County, The towns of Superior and Louisville have been evacuated. Multiple homes and businesses have burned so far from the fast moving fire stocked by fierce winds, with gusts topping 100 mph, along the foothills. The fire has been called the Marshall Fire. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

All residents in the Town of Superior and Louisville -- and parts of Broomfield -- were directed to evacuate due to threat of fire Thursday afternoon and evening.

marshall fire copter 4 friday superior — (credit: CBS)

The Avista Adventist Hospital was evacuated and is expected to be out of commission for several days. The Broomfield County Jail was also evacuated.

Power was cut to more than 34,000 Xcel customers in the Superior and Louisville Thursday afternoon and evening, officials reported. See the full Xcel Energy outage map here.

Intense winds of up to 105 mph fanned the flames and continued through the evening hours.

US-CLIMATE-FIRE-COLORADO — Flames engulf homes as the Marshall Fire spreads through a neighborhood in the town of Superior in Boulder County, Colorado on December 30, 2021. - Hundreds of homes are feared lost in fast-moving wildfires in the US state of Colorado, officials said Thursday, as flames tear through areas desiccated by a historic drought. At least 1,600 acres have burned in Boulder County, much of it suburban, with warnings that deaths and injuries were likely as the blaze engulfes hotels and shopping centers. Extreme winds topping 100 mph caused grass fires to quickly spread into the Colorado towns of Superior and Louisville resulting in the mandatory evacuation of over 30,000 residents. Colorado Governor Jared Polis has declared a state of emergency due to the grass fires in Boulder County. (Photo by Jason Connolly / AFP) (Photo by JASON CONNOLLY/AFP via Getty Images)

There are now four evacuation centers open for residents:

The North Boulder Recreation Center at 3170 Broadway in Boulder
The Lafayette YMCA at 2800 Dagny Way in Lafayette
The North Boulder Recreation Center at 3170 Broadway in Boulder
The Rocky Mountain Christian Church at 9447 Niwot Road in Longmont

If you are COVID-positive and must evacuate, please evacuate to the COVID Recover Center at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church at 3485 Stanford Court in Boulder.

Watch our 24/7 news streaming service for breaking news updates: https://denver.cbslocal.com/live/

The most destructive wildfire in Colorado history was the Black Forest Fire. It burned more than 14,280 acres and destroyed 511 homes in 2013. The two fires on Thursday have already destroyed at least 580 homes in only 1,600 acres.

Marshall Fire

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